How to make stale bread soft again?

What to do with stale bread? It is quite possible to refresh it and, using simple methods, make it soft again. Basically, these methods are based on exposure to high temperatures and high humidity. Bread can be made soft again in the microwave, oven, or frying pan using some tricks.

Softening in the microwave

This method is considered one of the fastest and most effective, although it is more suitable for bread in pieces - the thickness of the slices for softening in the microwave should be about 2 centimeters.

This can be done in two ways.

1. Sprinkle the stale pieces a little with water and place in the oven for a maximum of 60 seconds; additionally, you can place a saucer or glass of warm water in the microwave next to the bread. It is better to check the condition of the slices every 15 seconds - otherwise you can overdry them, making them even tougher. In addition, it is advisable to cover it with a special microwave cover made of plastic.
2. Soak a paper towel in cool water, squeeze out excess moisture and wrap the dried bread, which is then placed in the microwave with the towel for 10-20 seconds.

Tenderizing in the oven

This method of preparatory operations is practically no different from the method of softening in a microwave oven - the stale pieces are first sprayed with water or wrapped in a damp towel and kept in a preheated oven.At a temperature of 160–180 degrees, it will take 2–3 minutes to soften, at 100–120 degrees – 5–8 minutes.

While still in the oven, you can refresh stale bread by wrapping it in food foil in advance; in this case, the holding time increases - at a temperature of 160–180 degrees it will be 10–15 minutes. Be sure to let the bread cool slightly before removing it from the foil.

Steam recovery

The simplest version of this method is softening in a double boiler or multicooker; for this you need to keep the stale bread in operating mode for 1–2 minutes.

If you don’t have a double boiler or multicooker, you can use a regular saucepan and colander. Place the dry slices or whole piece in a colander over a pan of simmering water. It is important that the water does not touch the bread, otherwise it will turn into a mushy mass. After keeping the stale pieces for 5-7 minutes, you will get completely soft slices that are suitable for consumption. The disadvantage of this method is the need for constant monitoring of the process - the product may absorb excess moisture and will have to be dried.

Restoring softness in the pan

This method cannot be called one of the most effective, although it can be used. Stale bread, as in the case of the oven and microwave, should be lightly moistened with water and then placed in a dry frying pan heated over low heat and left for 1 to 5 minutes.

Soften in a bag

Stale slices or a piece of bread are placed in an ordinary plastic bag, which is tightly tied and placed either on the windowsill, if it is a warm season and it receives direct sunlight, or on the radiator, if, of course, they are hot.The softening process will take quite a long time, but the effect will be longer. After some time, thanks to the condensation that begins to form in the bag, the bread will begin to become soft.

You can place the dry bread in a bag along with the celery root and refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours). In this case, the pieces of product should be as small as possible. After the specified time has passed, you can see how the celery has dried out, giving up its moisture to the now soft product.

Use of the weathered product

In the event that there is no need to restore the original properties of bread, it can easily be used, namely:

• Dry it further, using a mixture of seasonings if necessary, and then use it as crackers. In this case, the main thing is to know At what temperature should you dry crackers in the oven?to obtain an excellent ingredient for soups and salads from the weathered product;
• add to the minced meat as an ingredient in cutlets, meatballs, cabbage rolls and any other chopped semi-finished products;
• use as part of homemade baked goods - these can be various pies, pies;
• make breadcrumbs from dry bread;
• Prepare the croutons by first dipping the bread slices in the egg.

Important!

It should be borne in mind that it is necessary to soften stale bread immediately before eating it. The reconstituted product remains soft for no more than 2 hours, and it will not be possible to make it soft again.

In addition, when trying to revive stale slices, be sure to check them for the presence of mold, which is quite often found on bread that is not the first freshness.If the product shows at least initial signs of the appearance of mold fungi, then you should not eat it, try to soften it, or add it to other dishes, since eating moldy products can cause very severe food poisoning.

How to store bread so it stays soft longer

In order not to think about how to make stale bread soft again, and not to look for ways to use a stale product, you just need to know how to store it correctly.

• In the bread bin. It is this that will ensure the longest shelf life and maintain softness. Additionally, you can put sugar or salt poured into a small container in the bread bin - this trick will maintain the optimal humidity level for storage.
• In plastic bags. This will ensure that it stays soft for 4-5 days. It is better to make holes in such bags (using a regular hole punch), since without air access the bread will quickly begin to mold.
• In special bread bags. They consist of two layers of cotton fabric, between which there is a polyethylene gasket with holes. You can buy such bags in supermarkets.
• In a paper bag or wrapped in a sheet of paper. You should absolutely not use newspapers for this - harmful substances from printing ink can quickly be absorbed into the product.

Try to store bread correctly, do not buy a lot of it so that it does not linger. And if it so happens that the product has become stale, make sure there are no other signs of spoilage and soften it using any of the proposed methods. And Bon Appetit!