system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: If prepared foods should not be left unrefrigerated in the "danger zone" for extended periods of time for fear of bacteria growth, why do we treat baked goods differently?

Is it some property of baked goods that prevents leaving them out from being problematic? Or do they still pose a risk but we just treat them differently due to the fact that refrigeration tends to compromise the texture of baked goods?
gpt
For sweet baked goods, the sugar added functions like a preservative to prevent mold growth.

For non-sweet baked goods like bread, baking generates a crust where the water has been baked out. The lack of water makes it more difficult for mold to grow. You'll find that mold grows much easily once you cut open the bread and that the mold often grows on the white part of the bread where it is much more moist.