The heat makes bread drier and hard. A simple trick makes it delicious again

Using the oven or microwave, it is possible to rehearse the researched bread and avoid its waste.

It is a common disappointment in the kitchen, especially in the hottest and dried months of summer: a fresh bread is bought and, after a short time, It’s already dry and hard. Although old bread can be good toasted or in recipes like french toast or bread pudding, nothing compares to a soft and fresh slice-and it is possible to bring it back to life.

According to Keiry Palma, chef’s chef of pastry and bakery at the Institute of Culinary Education, bread is dry due to a natural process called starch retrograde. After cooking, bread starch molecules absorb water slowly and crystallize, causing the texture to harness. “This crystallized starch molecule is what makes the bread dawn and eventually spoil,” Palma explains to Martha Stewart’s website.

Fortunately, dry bread is not necessarily intended for garbage. Palma describes Two reliable methods of reactivation -One using one oven and the other one microwave-both using water to reintroduce moisture and heat to soften crystallized starch.

The oven method

Most suitable for whole bread, the oven technique produces a soft interior and a crispy crust in about 15 minutes. Palma’s steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 163 ° C.
2. Wet the bread briefly in water.
3. Roll it firmly on aluminum paper to retain moisture.
4. Bake for 10 minutesadjusting according to the type and density of the bread.

To check if it is at the point, tighten the bread gently – if it is still firm in the center, bake some more. If the crust is moist after softening, put the bread without wrapping on the grill for 1 to 2 minutes to restore the crisp.

The microwave method

For individual slices, smaller bread or leftovers, palm recommends the microwave for a quick solution:

1. Moist several layers of kitchen paper and twist the excess water
2. Wrap the bread completely in the cloth.
3. Heat in the microwave at the maximum power For 10 to 30 seconds.

Palm warns not to exceed 30 seconds, because the excess can cause the bread harden again after cooling.

Both approaches are based on the rehydration of starch and the use of heat to generate vapor, which redistributes moisture uniformly. Microwaves can quickly through rapid steam production, while ovens offer slower and more controlled results.

With these methods, even bread can return to an almost fresh condition perfect to save it from waste.