The aroma of freshly baked bread with a crispy crust is so appetizing that it is impossible not to eat it. However, after a few hours, it may lose all its appetizing appearance. They prefer to make crackers out of stale bread or simply throw it away, without thinking that with the right use it can easily be made again insanely tasty and soft.
Proper storage of bread
In order not to bring bakery products to drying out and keep them fresh for a long time, you should be aware of a few simple rules:
- After buying bread in the store, it should be wrapped in a linen or canvas towel. In this form, it can remain soft for a week.
- To prolong the life of rolls and loaves, you need to send them to the refrigerator. It is preferable that the temperature be at least 2 degrees - the top shelf will do. If the value is less, then the product will begin to lose moisture faster and, therefore, spoil faster.
- It is advisable to use cotton bags for storing loaves. Between them should be laid a plastic film with pre-made holes. Such bags can usually be found in supermarkets.
- A great option to keep soft and prevent mold growth is to leave half an apple, a few pieces of sugar, a small piece of potato and a pinch of salt in a bowl of bread.
In addition, you need to constantly monitor that the bread box is always closed tightly.
Ways to soften dry bread
Bakery products are perishable products. Hardening in most cases occurs due to loss of moisture. However, you should not rush to throw out the loaf, because there are several useful tricks and methods that will help refresh it and make it softer.
Important!
If bread products have already been affected by mold or have a musty smell, it is highly undesirable to soften them, since severe poisoning can be obtained when eating bread with a fungus.
in the microwave
This method is the most efficient and fastest. But it should be borne in mind that after softening, the product must be consumed immediately, because after a few hours it will become even harder than it was before. You can apply several options suitable for any bread products:
- Cut a bun 2 cm thick. Then sprinkle with water and put in the microwave for about 1 minute. It is advisable to leave the water poured into the container nearby. Every 15-20 seconds you need to check for readiness so that dried bread does not come out.
- Wet the cut slices, squeeze, wrap in paper towel and put in the microwave for 15-25 seconds. This method will help keep the steam inside.
The amount of water that is required depends on how dry the product was. The second time to soften the bread will not work, so you need to eat it right away.
In the oven
If there is no microwave, you can refresh the loaf and make it edible using the oven. There are also two ways to do this:
- Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet and lay out the cut slices in one layer. After you can sprinkle them with water, cover with a wet towel or foil. It is necessary to keep at 150 degrees for about 5 minutes. This option is suitable if the product has dried only on top.
- If sliced bread has dried out, you can fix it with high heat and hot water. It should be sent to a bowl of boiled water for about 1-1.5 minutes, covered with foil. After that, put on a baking sheet and send to the oven preheated to 155 degrees for 7-13 minutes. This method is suitable for heavily dried products.
other methods
The disadvantage of the previous methods is the need to immediately consume the bread after it has been softened. For a longer effect, there are other options:
In a double boiler
It is necessary to boil water in it, and then put dried products in a special basket, cover with a lid, leaving for about 3-4 minutes. In this way, even the toughest loaf can be saved.
in a frying pan
Not the most effective option, however, if there are no other means, it may well be suitable. At the beginning, you need to cut the bread and, sprinkled with water, put it in a frying pan, which should be warm and dry. Readiness should be checked after 4 minutes. It is advisable to constantly monitor the cooking process.
In a paper bag
Bread products and a stalk of celery should be put in a paper bag, tightly tied so that air does not enter. Put it in the refrigerator for about 4-6 hours. After the elapsed time, the celery will dry out, and the slices will fill with moisture.
Important!
Instead of towels, baking paper can be used to preserve the bread. In no case should it be stored in a newspaper, as the paint will easily be absorbed into the product.
Celery stalks can be omitted by putting pieces of bread in a plastic bag, also tied well and put on the windowsill in the summer season or on a hot battery in the winter. This is the longest process to soften products, but they will keep the freshness effect much longer than other methods. The soft bread will be due to condensation that will begin to form in the bag.
in a saucepan
The remains of a loaf or sliced \u200b\u200bbread should be sent to any pan that has a tight-fitting lid. It should be put in pre-boiled water and wait about 10 minutes. When the water cools down, you can check the condition of the products, if this time was not enough, the procedure must be repeated.
On a water bath
If there is no slow cooker or double boiler available, then a colander and a saucepan are perfect. In it you need to boil quite a bit of water, and place pieces of bread about 1-2 cm thick in a colander on top. You need to heat up for about 4-6 minutes, constantly checking their condition. The main thing is that the water does not touch the slices, otherwise they will turn into porridge.
The use of stale bread
If there is no need to restore all the properties of bakery products, then you can easily use them in this form:
- use for minced meatballs, meatballs, cabbage rolls and other dishes;
- make delicious crackers with the addition of aromatic seasonings;
- make breadcrumbs;
- use for pies, pies and other pastries;
- make croutons.
To keep bread products for a long time, you need to follow a few tips:
- It is advisable to start cutting the loaf from the middle, and then connect the halves, then it will not get stale longer.
- If you put the products in the freezer, then you should wrap them in cling film first.
- To prevent all the steam from leaving their microwave oven, when checking the readiness of bread, you should use a special plastic lid.
- For the best effect when using the oven, the door should be slightly opened. So, all excess moisture will come out.
- Do not store white and black bread in the same container because of the mixing of yeast, it begins to mold.
- It is necessary to regularly wash the dishes where the loaf lies and wipe it with a solution of vinegar.
- If the bread is self-cooked, then it must be cooled on a wire rack in a place where there are no drafts for about 3 hours.
To prevent bread from stale and stale, you need to know how to store it properly. If, nevertheless, the product began to become hard, then you need to make sure that there are no signs of damage and mold on it, and then soften it using one of the presented methods. The bread will again be fragrant, hot and crispy.
The need to make bread soft 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 return the lost freshness of wheat or rye bread.
If you heat stale bread in a special way in the microwave, it will become soft again. However, the peculiarity of this method is that you need to eat bread quickly, after 10-12 hours it will again be hard. Hostesses recommend two methods.
The first method is a container of water
Procedure:
- Cut the stale bread into small pieces - the thickness should be no more than 20 mm.
- Moisten each plastic a little with water, but do not allow it to become very soft or become sour.
- Pour some water into a flat-bottomed bowl and place the bread in it.
- Place the dishes in the oven, cover with a lid or a special cap.
- Set the timer for 2-4 minutes and wait, checking the condition of the bread every 15-20 seconds.
Success Secrets
So that instead of softening the bread does not burn and does not turn into jelly, it is necessary that, on the one hand, the steam from the container does not leave too quickly, on the other hand, the excess does not linger in the crumb. Therefore, either special dishes for microwaves (with a loose lid) or a cap with a steam outlet are suitable for the procedure.
It is not necessary to heat the water before putting 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.
The second method is paper towels
This method is perhaps even easier than the previous one.
Procedure:
- Take paper or thin textile towels and moisten with boiled water. If you chose paper towels, you need to make sure that they do not tear.
- Squeeze maximum.
- Wrap bread.
- Put in the microwave and turn on the oven for 20 seconds.
A damp towel will give moisture to the bread under the force of heating, 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, on the contrary, you can soften stale pastries.
Procedure:
- Slice the bread into thick slices.
- Wet and wring out paper towels well.
- Wrap the pieces.
- Lay out on a baking sheet. A wire rack is also suitable, but then you must first cover it with parchment paper.
- Heat the oven to 100 or 120 degrees.
- Put 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 softening work is carried out by the steam generated during the heating process.
Thus, do not be upset and throw away bread that has become stale. A microwave and a little steam will bring it back to its original softness. In the same way, it will be possible to refresh both buns and bread sticks that have dried on top. The main thing is to remember that the power of the microwave oven is higher than that of the oven, so you need to follow the timer, otherwise you will get toast at the output.
Bread should be fresh and soft. It is these pieces with a crispy crust and delicate aroma that most people prefer. Only bad luck: the loaves get stale too quickly and go to the crackers. If this state of affairs does not suit you at all, and you want to learn how to return the former freshness to stale bread, then these 3 methods will come in handy.
The main rule to be followed is that you can only refresh bread that is stale, but not moldy. If there are clear signs that the product has deteriorated, then you should come to terms with the fact that it can no longer be saved.
Bread becomes stale as it loses moisture, so all methods are aimed at re-saturating the pieces with moisture. This can be done in several ways: in the microwave, in the oven or in a double boiler.
1. Microwave
The fastest way to soften bread is to place the wet pieces in the microwave. Put a small container of water in there. Turn on for 15-20 seconds, check the degree of softness, then repeat 1-2 more times. As a rule, 40-50 seconds is enough for the bread to become soft. You need to check often, because if you overdo it, then it is quite possible that the effect will be exactly the opposite - the pieces will turn into crackers.
2. Oven
In order to soften the bread in the oven, you need to cut the same small pieces as for the microwave. Then wrap them with a paper towel soaked in water and place in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees. It takes 2-3 minutes for the bread to become soft again.
If there was no paper towel at hand, but there is foil, then you can also wrap bread in it. In this case, the exposure time in the oven should be increased to 10-15 minutes. It is important to let the bread cool without unwrapping the foil, then it will be really soft.
3. Steamer or colander with a saucepan
Steaming bread is another effective way that housewives know about. It usually takes 1-2 minutes in normal mode if a steamer is used.
If there is no such machine, then the usual steam bath will become an alternative. A colander is placed over a pot of boiling water. Pieces of bread are placed at the bottom of the colander, which actively absorb moisture. This method is simple, but requires care: if the bread is left to steam for too long, it may become soggy. In addition, you need to make sure that the bread does not touch the boiling water, this will also spoil the result.
Many people adore the seemingly simplest dish - fresh bread with a crispy crust. Its smell acts breathtakingly, stimulating the appetite. Everyone, in childhood, running to the bakery, brought a loaf with a gnawed crust. It was not possible to convey the fragrant brick intact. Surprisingly, after a couple of hours, bread became the most mediocre product and lost its charming, appetizing properties. A day later, we call it already stale. There are times when you need to refresh stale bread in the microwave or otherwise. There is no time to go to the store or it is a pity to throw out the leftovers.
Ways to freshen up bread
The reason for the rapid loss of the original qualities of bakery products is the evaporation of moisture. It 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 a 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, dried edges were wrapped in foil. Then it took about 10 minutes. After resuscitation, it was necessary to wait for the bread to cool down and only then remove it from the food foil.
We use the microwave
People have come up with several ways to soften stale bread in the microwave. Modern household appliances save a lot of time and effort. Does not require pre-preparation, such as pre-heating.
Important! To soften stale bread, it is necessary in a normal state. Do not eat if there are signs of mold! Remember - moldy mushrooms, even if they are not visible, poison the product completely and are dangerous to health.
Having carefully studied the advice of housewives, we choose the best:
- Option one - take stale bread or slices and sprinkle with a little water. Place in the microwave for a minute. It is good to place a container with warm water next to it. It can be a glass or a saucer. When conducting resuscitation for the first time, it is better to look every 20 seconds. The fact is that you can overdry and instead of making stale bread soft in the microwave, you get crackers. You can use a special plastic cover for less evaporation. Just remember, the dishes must be designed for use in a microwave oven.
- Option two - you need a paper towel. Wet it with water and squeeze it thoroughly. We wrap the hardened product and place it in the microwave oven for 15-20 seconds. After that, take out the fragrant bread, remove the towel and you can go to the table.
In a similar way, you will save any bakery products - be it bread, bagels, rolls, etc. The excellent condition of the product depends on the degree of dryness. When using water, it is necessary to focus on the condition of the product. If you have crackers in your hands, then you will need more moisture, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to completely turn them into a new product.
The only rule is to refresh it right before eating. After a few hours, it will again turn into stale. The second time you will not 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.
Sometimes at home there is a blockage of bread. And it doesn't matter why it happened - either they bought a lot, or they ate less than usual. Or maybe they were in a hurry to get to work and forgot to return the baguette to the breadbasket. Now we urgently need to save stale bread, do not throw it away! Gnawing crackers, of course, is not the most interesting option, but you can try to make the loaf fresh and soft and return the flavor and tenderness to the hardened bun.
Bread resuscitation
Before you start rescuing stale slices, you should carefully consider them. The presence of mold is a signal that this product is unsuitable for food. No need to think that the fungus is limited to only those spots on the surface that you were able to notice and cut off. If you find at least one "patch", be sure: the mycelium has already sprouted everywhere, you can only see it with a strong magnification in the microscope. Eating bread affected by mold fungi is dangerous to health.
Proven Methods
Previously, for these purposes more often In total, steam procedures were used in different versions:
Modern ways
No one says that the old knowledge about how to refresh stale bread is outdated or does not help to complete the task. You can use them if you wish. However, technological progress has already made housework more comfortable and not as time-consuming as it was at the time of our great-grandmothers. And now it’s hard to imagine kitchens without sophisticated household appliances that “know” exactly how to soften dried bread:
If you have already chosen a way to refresh bread in the microwave, then it's time to remember that the magical transformation of a stale brick into fresh pastries will not take long: after two hours, fragrant soft slices will become very hard crackers.
What can be made from stale bread
Today, other inhabitants of our kitchen will help to revive a baguette or a bun: a slow cooker, a double boiler. But it happens that a bread product is hopelessly hardened and cannot be restored. Is it really the only way out - to throw it away in the hope that the birds will pick it up? Do not be upset, you can cook something tasty for the household. There are options and they are not difficult at all.
Toast
By wetting the slices of a loaf in different liquids (water, milk or egg-milk mixture), you can fry them. If desired, croutons can be made curly - children will like it.
The easiest hot sandwich
It is necessary to slightly moisten the bread slices with milk and lay the cheese or curd mixture on top. Send for two minutes in the microwave with high heat. Add to this a cup of tea or coffee - and a light breakfast is ready. You can put your favorite set on a slice: sausage, olives, tomato slices, and so on.