How to soften bread in the microwave. Stale bread: how can you make it soft? How to use stale bread

Hardened bread is a very unpleasant surprise, which can be discovered even the next day after purchasing a golden brown loaf. Stale buns are often used to make authentic charlotte, but not everyone will like such a specific treat.

A well-known proverb says that bread is the head of everything, so it is no good to send it straight to crackers. Almost all baked goods can be revived using simple old-fashioned methods. We will talk about them further.

What to do with stale bread
1. Hard bread, even a week old, will regain its former softness thanks to a simple trick. Place it in a small saucepan and cover with a lid. Fill a larger pan halfway with boiling water, then place a container with bread in the middle and wait for the water to cool. Ready!

2. Cut the bread into slices and microwave for 10–60 seconds, setting the power to minimum.

3. Fill a saucepan with some water and place a colander or sieve on top. Place the structure on the fire and bring to a boil. Place 1–2 cm thick slices of bread in a colander and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes until the bread has steamed.

4. Keep the bread under running water for 1 minute, then place in an oven preheated to 150 degrees for 10 minutes.

Proper storage of baked goods will prevent drying out and mold, so you should listen to several recommendations from So Taste.
**White bread quickly absorbs foreign odors, so it is better to store it separately from rye bread.
**Do not store dry bread and crackers next to bread: the latter absorb moisture and lose their crunchy properties.

It is best to store bread in a paper bag or a bag made of natural fabric.
Do not store bread in the refrigerator: there it becomes saturated with moisture and unpleasant odors, and also becomes moldy.
To make bread go stale slower, place a piece of apple in the bread bin or sprinkle a little salt.

Many people adore what seems like the simplest dish - fresh bread with a crispy crust. Its smell is mind-blowing, stimulating the appetite. Everyone, as a child, ran to the bakery and brought back a loaf with a nibbled crust. It was impossible to deliver the fragrant brick intact. Surprisingly, after just a couple of hours, the bread became the most mediocre product and lost its charming, appetizing properties. After a day we call it callous. There are times when you need to refresh stale bread in the microwave or another way. There is no time to go to the store or it’s a pity to throw away the leftovers.

Ways to refresh bread

The reason for the rapid loss of original qualities of bakery products is the evaporation of moisture. Happens especially quickly in a hot, dry room. There are many ways to make dry bread soft. The main assistant in the ability to restore bread is the microwave oven.

Previously, when microwave technology was rare, they used an oven and even a frying pan. To do this, pieces of stale bread were sprinkled with water and placed in a preheated oven for 2–3 minutes. For another method, the dried edges were wrapped in foil. Then it took about 10 minutes. After resuscitation, you had to wait until the bread cooled down and only then remove it from the food foil.

We use a microwave oven

People have come up with several ways to soften stale bread in the microwave. Modern household appliances significantly save time and effort. Does not require preliminary preparations, such as preheating.

Important! It is necessary to soften stale bread in normal condition. Do not eat if signs of mold appear! Remember - moldy mushrooms, even if they are not visible, completely poison the product and are dangerous to health.

Having carefully studied the advice of housewives, we choose the best:

• Option one - take stale bread or pieces and sprinkle with a little water. Place in the microwave for a minute. It’s a good idea to place a container of warm water nearby. This could be a glass or saucer. When performing resuscitation for the first time, it is better to check every 20 seconds. The fact is that you can overdry it and instead of making stale bread soft in the microwave, you end up with crackers. You can use a special plastic lid for less evaporation. Just remember, the dishes must be designed for use in a microwave oven.

• Option two - you will need a paper towel. Wet it in water and squeeze it thoroughly. We wrap the hardened product and place it in the microwave oven for 15–20 seconds. After this, take out the fragrant bread, remove the towel and you are ready to go to the table.

In a similar way, you can save any baked goods - be it bread, bagels, buns, etc. The excellent condition of the product depends on the degree of dryness. When using water, you need to focus on the condition of the product. If you have crackers in your hands, you will need more moisture, but it is unlikely that you will be able to completely turn them into a newly baked product.

The only rule is that you need to refresh it right before eating it. Within a few hours it will turn stale again. The second time you won’t be able to soften the bread. Therefore, use for resuscitation without excess. Agree, making stale bread fresh in the microwave is also a good way to save money.

The need to soften bread in the microwave arises periodically for any housewife. More than 50% of people do not try to restore the softness of the product by throwing it away. Household appliances allow you to quickly restore the lost freshness of wheat or rye bread.

If you heat stale bread in a microwave oven in a special way, it will become soft again. However, the peculiarity of this method is that you need to eat the bread quickly; after 10-12 hours it will be hard again. Housewives recommend two methods.

The first method is a container of water

Procedure:

1. Cut stale bread into small pieces - the thickness should be no more than 20 mm.
2. Moisten each plastic a little with water, but do not allow it to become too soft or liquefied into a pulp.
3. Pour some water into a flat-bottomed container and place the bread in it.
4. Place the dishes in the oven, cover with a lid or a special cap.
5. Set the timer for 2-4 minutes and wait, checking the condition of the bread every 15-20 seconds.

Secrets of success

So that instead of softening the bread does not burn and turn into jelly, it is necessary that, on the one hand, the steam from the container does not leave too quickly, and on the other, it does not linger in the crumb. Therefore, either special dishes for microwaves (with a loose-fitting lid) or a cap with a steam outlet are suitable for the procedure.

There is no need to heat the water before putting the stale pieces into it.

It is extremely important to periodically look into the oven and check the softness of the bread. Otherwise, the plastics will come out crispy, like toast.

Method two - paper towels

This method is perhaps even easier than the previous one.

Procedure:

1. Take paper or thin textile towels and moisten them with boiled water. If you choose paper towels, you need to make sure they don't tear.
2. Squeeze as much as possible.
3. Wrap the bread.
4. Place in the microwave and turn on the oven for 20 seconds.

A damp towel will release moisture to the bread under the force of heat, the pieces will be saturated with steam and will hold it for several hours.

Softening in the oven

Usually bread is placed in the oven to get crispy crackers, but by following certain rules, you can, on the contrary, soften stale baked goods.

Procedure:

1. Cut the bread into thick pieces.
2. Wet the paper towels well and wring them out.
3. Wrap the pieces.
4. Place on a baking sheet. A wire rack will also work, but then you first need to cover it with parchment paper.
5. Heat the oven to 100 or 120 degrees.
6. Place the bread and set the timer for 7 minutes.

Advice! Instead of a paper towel, you can use a paper bag, also slightly moistened with water, since the main work of softening is carried out by the steam formed during the heating process.

Thus, you should not be upset and throw away bread that has become stale. A microwave and a little steam will restore it to its former softness. In the same way, you can refresh buns and breadsticks that have dried out on top. The main thing is to remember that the power of a microwave oven is higher than that of an oven, so you need to monitor the timer, otherwise you will end up with toast.

Soft and aromatic bread with a crispy crust quickly loses its original taste. And if it is also stored incorrectly, it will lose its characteristic texture in just a couple of days. A stale product can also be used in cooking, but before resorting to extreme measures, you should try to restore the product.

A modern kitchen has all the necessary conditions for this. The desired effect is achieved using an oven, a double boiler, a pan of water or a microwave. In addition, there are several special approaches that can soften even the most ruined reserves.

How to properly store bread?

First of all, you need to learn how to properly store baked goods. Then you won't have to try to soften them again. There are not many rules, they are all simple and accessible, but mandatory.

The bread will remain soft for a long time if you follow these recommendations:

• A completely fresh, still crispy loaf should be wrapped in a linen or canvas towel. In this case, the product will remain soft for a week. Today, fabric can be replaced with baking paper.
• Housewives prefer to keep loaves and rolls in the refrigerator, but do not think too much when choosing a shelf. It is best to put the bread in the warmest place, because... at temperatures below 2ºC the component loses moisture much faster.

• To store loaves, you can purchase or manually make special bags consisting of two layers of cotton fabric with a polyethylene layer with holes.

Tip: The bread product will remain soft longer if you cut it from the middle and then connect the halves. In this case, there is no need to try to wrap the structure in cling film or polyethylene. Even without this, it will not spoil right in the bread bin or paper bag.

• If you need to keep buns or other small baked goods soft for 2-3 days, put them in a pan and put a fresh apple in there.
• When homemade bread is planned to be stored for a long time, it should not be fully cooked during the baking process. This semi-finished product is cooled, cut into slices with a very sharp knife and put into the freezer. There it must be kept at a temperature no higher than -18ºС. Before use, it is heated in the oven or microwave, and it becomes like fresh. The main thing is to do this right before eating, such products very quickly become stale and dry.
• To avoid having to eat a stale product, you should put a couple of pieces of sugar, half an apple or a potato tuber in the bread bin. Additionally, you can use a pinch of salt, which will protect the product from mold.

It is equally important to choose a suitable place to store food. If it is a bread box, it must be airtight. In the refrigerator, the component is kept in paper or multi-layer bags. Before going into the freezer, the slices are wrapped in cling film.

How to restore softness to bread using kitchen devices?

If no tricks help and the product has dried out, it can be quickly restored or at least refreshed using the following approaches:

• In the oven - 1 way. We heat the chamber to a temperature of 150ºС. Place slices of bread on a baking sheet or parchment-lined rack, lightly spray them with water or cover with a damp cloth. Process for 3-4 minutes.
• In the oven - method 2. When the bread is very stale, but at the same time cut into slices, dip it in hot boiled water for a couple of minutes. Then we put the elements on a baking sheet and put them in the oven, preheated to 160ºC. Leave for 10-15 minutes with the door slightly open (this will allow excess moisture to escape).

• In the microwave - 1 way. We simply place the workpieces in the microwave oven chamber and heat them at medium or low power for 10-30 seconds. We evaluate the quality of the product and, if necessary, repeat the manipulation.
• In the microwave - method 2. When the product is so stale that it can no longer be cut, everything will have to be done in two stages. First, the loaf or part of it needs to be refreshed by sprinkling it with cool boiled water from a spray bottle. Place the semi-finished product in the microwave and heat at low power for 20-30 seconds. We take out the product and cut it into slices. We send them to the cell for the same amount of time.

These are emergency methods of solving the problem, with the help of which very stale bread is quickly restored. In cases where time is not so important and the situation is not too advanced, you can try other approaches.

Additional ways to restore softness to bread

If the above methods must be applied immediately before using the products, then the following methods are used as the problem is detected. Of course, in this case too, it is recommended to eat the bread as quickly as possible, at least within 24 hours.

• Cut 1 cm thick slices from the loaf, place them in a dry colander and place over a pan of boiling water. There must be a significant gap between the structure and the liquid, otherwise the workpieces will simply soften. Processing is carried out until the desired result is obtained.
• Place the slices or part of the loaf in a small saucepan and cover it with a lid. Place the container in a basin, bowl or larger pan filled with boiling water. We wait until the water cools down and check the quality of the bread. If necessary, repeat the approach.

• If the bread is already sliced, put it in a paper bag and add a stalk of fresh celery there. Close the container carefully and place it in the refrigerator for several hours. After which we take out the celery, it should dry out noticeably, giving up moisture to the bread.
• Bakery products are also reconstituted in a double boiler. But here it is very difficult to calculate the impact time. You have to constantly ensure that the product does not soften.

When nothing can be done, no methods help, you should find a suitable recipe and use the product for its intended purpose. Stale bread can be useful in making crackers, cutlets, charlotte and many other delicious dishes.

Bread goes stale in just a couple of days, so some people prefer to throw away the stale product or make crackers. Few people know that you can soften stale bread in the microwave or oven. If you don’t have such equipment in your kitchen, then don’t despair, since you can even bring bread back to life with the help of a water bath.

Softening bread using the microwave

It is necessary to use the microwave only if the product will be eaten immediately. If you leave the bread to be stored, after a short amount of time it will turn to stone again.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Stale bread must be cut into pieces no more than 2 cm thick and lightly sprinkled with water.
2. Place a container of water in the microwave, place the pieces of the product there and heat for one minute.
3. If the process is being carried out for the first time, then it is better to check the condition of the bread every 20 seconds.

To better retain moisture, you can cover the product with a special plastic lid, which is designed for a microwave oven.

The main thing is not to overcook the product, because if you heat it for a long time, you will end up with crackers instead of soft, crispy bread.

There is another way to soften bread in the microwave. It is necessary to moisten a kitchen paper towel in water, squeeze it out as much as possible and wrap it around the stale product. Next, you should place the bread in the microwave for 15 or 20 seconds. A damp towel will add more moisture and help trap steam inside the loaf better.

How to refresh bread in the oven

There are two ways to refresh stale bread in the oven. The methods will not return the product to its original texture and aroma, but will help refresh it and make it edible.

• Method No. 1.

Preheat the oven to a temperature of 140-150°C, cover a baking tray with baking paper and evenly arrange the pieces of bread on it. The product must also be sprinkled with water, or better yet, covered with a damp kitchen towel or wrapped in foil. Keep in the oven for 5 minutes.

You can soften bread only if it is in good condition and there are no signs of mold. Even if there is no visible plaque, but there is a musty smell, then it is categorically not recommended to use such a product.

• Method No. 2.

If sliced ​​bread has dried out, you can restore it with hot water and high temperature. The method is suitable if the product has become very stale. First of all, you need to heat the oven to 160 °C and prepare a container with hot, boiled water. Place the bread slices in a bowl and let them soak in water for one minute. After this, place all the pieces on a baking sheet and place it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. It is advisable to keep the door slightly open, this will help achieve a better effect by allowing excess moisture to escape.

Additional bread recovery options

If the basic methods do not help, then you can use auxiliary options to refresh dry bread. Additional methods:

• softening in a double boiler;
• using a water bath;
• paper bag method;
• restoring bread in a frying pan.

Double boiler. Here you can soften a hard, weathered loaf, since the bread will not heat up much and will receive a large amount of moisture. You need to boil water in the steamer tray, then remove it from the heat, place a special basket on top and place dry bread behind it. Cover the entire structure with a lid and leave for 5 minutes. During this time, the product will soften and be ready for use.

The procedure should be carried out immediately before eating bread. After 1-1.5, such a product will again become stone, and it will no longer be possible to make it soft again.

Water bath. You need to pour some water into the pan and boil it. There should not be a lot of liquid, 2 centimeters is enough, otherwise all the slices will get wet and fall apart. Place a colander with pieces of bread on top of the pan and heat for 3-5 minutes. Periodically you need to check the condition of the slices so as not to overheat them.

Paper bag. Place the sliced ​​bread in a paper bag and add a stalk of celery to it. The bag must be tied well so that it does not allow air to pass through, and put it in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. After this, remove the pieces of product and celery from the bag. The stem should dry out noticeably, as it will give up its moisture to the bread.

Pan. The method cannot be called the most effective, but if you don’t have a microwave or oven, you can use it. Slices of bread should be sprinkled with water and placed in a frying pan, preheating it over low heat. The effect will appear in 1-5 minutes. At this time, it is better not to leave the stove and monitor the condition of the product.

If there is no mold or other signs of damage on the product, then it is quite possible to make it soft. It is enough to use one of the listed methods and enjoy the taste of hot and crispy bread.