Bread can and does ferment.
In the breads dough the oxygen supply of the bread dough is limited and the yeast can only achieve partial fermentation and instead of carbon dioxide and water being given off, carbon dioxide and alcohol are produced.
This is a process that is called alcoholic fermentation.
Bread that has gone bad or is going bad will usually have a vinegar smell to it.
Also bread when it goes bad will have mold on it and the bread mold can be white, black, green or even blue and if you see any mold on the bread throw the moldy bread out.
However if only part of the bread is moldy you can remove the moldy pieces of bread or cut off the moldy parts of the bread and eat the rest of the bread.
Bread will usually last for up to 7 days to 14 days and sometimes as long as a month before it goes bad.
You can eat bread that smells like alcohol as it's safe to eat.
Although when bread smells like alcohol it's fermented too long and the cause of the alcohol smell in the bread is just because of the yeast.
There's nothing unsafe about eating bread that smells like alcohol but it's not as appetizing.
It might make you sick to your stomach but some people can eat the alcohol smelling bread with no problems.
The breads alcohol smell specifically comes from the fermentation of the yeast that is used in the bread.
It’s a natural process that occurs when the yeast sets in the bread and converts the carbohydrates into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
The bread will almost certainly have the smell like alcohol during the process while you are making homemade bread.
The good news is that usually when you bake the bread, you get rid of the smell and the alcohol within the mixture from the yeast fermentation.
However, when bread sits in your pantry or wherever you store it sometimes the smell returns.
It is perfectly safe to eat, there is nothing wrong with it other than the smell can be quite annoying.
Just know that the smell does not mean your bread is sour or even under cooked.