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.

Bread is a very healthy and nutritious product. Almost all people eat it daily. And of course, at least once in a lifetime, each of us became callous. You can seal the product in a plastic bag. In this case, the loaf will be soft for a long time, but most likely it will become moldy. If you let the loaf breathe at full strength, it will dry out. When this happens, there is no need to be upset, as this problem can be easily solved.

Stale bread is healthier than fresh

Most simply love fragrant flour products. Very often, nothing remains of a freshly baked piece eaten with a cup of tea. But is it useful, from a medical point of view? It should be noted that the body assimilates stale and fresh bread in different ways, although they do not differ from each other in their composition. The fact is that fragrant products have a large amount of substances of natural fermentation. After eating such a loaf, the organs of the gastrointestinal tract are in danger. It is best for people who suffer from internal diseases to refuse to eat a tasty and fresh loaf altogether.

Why is stale bread considered healthier? As already mentioned, it is completely identical in composition to fresh. The only difference is the absence of fermentation processes in crackers. Therefore, they are considered safe even for those who have certain diseases. This product is very easy to digest. And the stomach receives a much smaller load, and this, in turn, brings a significant plus for the whole organism as a whole. Many argue that such bread is not very tasty. But even from it you can cook interesting and healthy dishes for the body. The veracity of this fact can be verified by opening any cookbook.

What can be cooked?

Even the most careful and economical hostess from time to time in the kitchen appears stale bread. If you do not want to eat the product raw, you can cook a large number of dishes from it:

1. Crackers. To date, store shelves are simply crammed with beautiful packages with various crusts. They taste like meat, pizza or mushrooms. Such products in their composition have a large number of harmful additives. And they are quite expensive. Therefore, they can be prepared at home and get a product that will be beneficial. To do this, the bread is cut into small squares or diamonds, and then fried in vegetable oil with the addition of various spices and salt. Thanks to this method, it is possible to answer the question of how to refresh stale. To do this, dry crusts are sprinkled with salt and various spices, and then dried and seasoned with fragrant garlic.
2. Of course, they are often made from fresh product, but if you use a hard loaf, after the oven, the piece has a crispy crust with a soft center. The easiest cooking option is to impregnate the slices with spices. First, they need to be sprinkled with a little oil. Then slices of tomatoes, cheese, ham are stacked on them. At the very end, the sandwich is baked.
3. Chicken stuffing. Stale bread is broken into portions and rubbed with garlic, peppered, salted and plentifully rolled in spices. Then the bird is stuffed with the prepared mass. You roast it on the grill or in the oven. This dish is especially popular in France.
4. Breading. The product is cut into small pieces, and then crushed with a combine or blender. Such a breading will become indispensable in the kitchen and will be healthier and tastier than purchased.
5. Toast. Don't forget about this recipe. For its preparation, prepared pieces are dipped in a mixture of milk and eggs, and then fried in oil. They can be cooked both sweet and salty. It is considered not very healthy, but a hearty and quick breakfast.

How to make stale bread fresh? A simple roast in the toaster will help. After such a procedure, it becomes fragrant and crispy and, of course, will not leave anyone indifferent.

Steaming in the microwave

For quite a long time, flour products have been an integral part of our diet. Their taste goes well with almost all dishes and a wide variety of products. A fragrant and fresh loaf is considered a special delicacy, but it is not so easy to get it. On the way from the store shelves to the kitchen table, it loses its smell and taste. In addition, it may be stale or slightly spoiled.

Fortunately, there are several ways to make stale bread fresh in the microwave:

• If the product is a little dry, it must be cut into small slices no more than two centimeters thick. Then they must be sent to the oven for 60 seconds. The exact time and temperature regime is set depending on the number of prepared pieces. It is best to lay the crusts for a small amount of time, and then add it if necessary to avoid drying out.
• Next, you need to figure out how to make stale bread soft in the microwave if it has become very hard. To do this, before cutting, the slice is thoroughly sprinkled with water from all sides and also sent to the oven for the same time as in the first case.

Reheating in the oven

Before starting the procedure, the device is heated to 175 degrees. This temperature is considered the best. If you turn on a large fire in the oven, the product may burn. If it is small, the elapsed time increases. As a result, this can lead to drying.

There are some tips on how to make stale bread soft in the oven. They are described below:

• It is best to cut the product directly after heating. Small pieces quickly become soft. If you do not keep track of them at the time of heating, then there is a chance that they will turn into crispy and hard slices.
• If there is a desire to cook croutons or crackers, then you can make small crusts. Then they are sprinkled on a baking sheet with a small amount of oil, salted, peppered, and the result is a delicious addition to salads.

1. The loaf is wrapped in food foil. This procedure is carried out to protect the crust from burning while the middle is warming up. If the process is carried out without winding, then the top will definitely become hard and probably burn.
2. The bread is left in the oven for 15 minutes. If the product is small, then 10 will be enough.
3. After heating, the loaf is taken out of the oven and served to the table. This process should be carried out immediately before serving the bread so that it does not lose its aroma again. If the procedure is repeated, then its texture and taste will deteriorate significantly.

How can a stove help?

In order to answer the question of how to make stale bread soft in a pan, just look for tips in cookbooks. Experienced chefs recommend the following actions:

• The loaf is wrapped in aluminum foil. This is done so that the product is steamed evenly.
• Next, you need to pick up a deep tank with a lid and put the prepared bun there.
• Then the pan is placed on the stove with a small fire turned on.

The minimum temperature is necessary for high-quality warming up. The container is left for 5 minutes, after which the bread is taken out and it is checked whether it has become warmer or not. If the process is not yet completed, then the loaf is sent back to the pan for a few more minutes.

Multicooker help!

How to refresh stale if it has become hard enough and turned into a real cracker? In this difficult matter, the steamer function can help. Water is poured into the flask from the device. Then the required number of pieces is laid out in the mold and the heating mode is turned on. After a while, steam will start to come out of the valve. Then the device must be turned off. After 10 minutes have passed, the lid opens. If the bread has become very wet, then it is dried a little in the oven.

How can celery help?

How to make stale bread soft in a slow cooker is already known. And this method is considered very simple, but not everyone has such a device in their arsenal. Therefore, a method is needed that everyone can use. This option is very suitable for chopped pieces. The bag must contain the required number of slices and a large stalk of celery. Next, the bundle is carefully closed and placed in the refrigerator for several hours. If possible, place food overnight. After opening, the stem should be well dried up, as it must give up its moisture to the loaf.

Treats for pets

If you don't feel like refreshing your loaf, you can use it in other ways. Stale bread is perfect for preparing treats for your animals:

1. A fluffy kitty will love pudding, which is prepared from 200 grams of crackers, half a glass of milk, 1 egg, 200 grams of minced fish and 1 hour. l. bone meal. All ingredients are mixed together and laid out in a mold, after which they are sent to the oven for 15 minutes. The pudding is baked at 170 degrees.
2. To make a dog treat, mix together ½ cup chopped hard bread, milk, flour, and 3 tbsp. l. pork fat. Cakes are formed from the mixture. They are baked for 40 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees.
3. Birds that live at home are recommended to feed such bread once a week, pre-moistened in milk.

For the economy

A stale loaf can also be useful at home. Here are some easy ways to use it:

• If you spread rye crackers around the room, then you can avoid the appearance of unpleasant odors. The bread just soaks it all up.
• It is recommended to put such crusts in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator where vegetables are stored. This way you can eliminate excess moisture. An important condition is their daily replacement. This is done so that the crackers do not get moldy.
• With dried pieces, you can remove a greasy fresh stain on suede, carpet, sheepskin coat or wallpaper.

In the garden and garden

Many housewives, although they know how to make stale bread soft, still prefer to use it when planting. And this is done simply. The crumbled loaf is sprinkled under the plants, as this is a good top dressing. You can also prepare liquid fertilizer. To do this, crushed crusts are poured with water, yeast is also added there. The mixture is infused for 3 days. After that, the soil is irrigated with the composition. In winter, it is recommended to lay out in bird feeders, which are hung in the garden. Feathered helpers, who will be attracted by the treat, will destroy a variety of pests.

Health Recipes

If a prolonged cough does not go away, then you can try one effective remedy. To prepare it, you need to pour 2 tbsp. l. mustard powder with a glass of boiling water, then crumble a slice of dry there. Then the prepared gruel is wrapped in gauze and laid out on the chest. The patient is covered with a warm scarf and rests for 10 minutes. But in order to cure a runny nose, you need to put a few crusts in a pan and put it on fire. The patient inhales the aromas that come from the burning crusts, closing one or the other nostril.

Everything for beauty

To get a fresh and healthy complexion, you need to do a mask several times a week. To prepare it, mix 1 egg white and 3 tbsp. l. warm milk, then wheat crackers are added. The prepared slurry is applied for 20 minutes.

To make the hair thicker and grow better, you need to make a bread mask once a week. To do this, rye pieces are soaked in half a glass of nettle broth. Then 1 yolk and 1 tsp are sent there. castor oil. And in the fight against cellulite, massage with bread crumbs will perfectly help. To do this, mix 50 grams of crushed crackers, a teaspoon of olive oil and 3 tbsp. l. honey. Such a mass is laid out on problem areas and rubbed for 10 minutes in a circular motion.

Soft and fragrant 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, it is worth trying to restore the product.

The modern kitchen has all the necessary conditions for this. The desired effect is achieved thanks to the oven, double boiler, pot of water or microwave. In addition, there are several special approaches that can soften even the most ruined stocks.

How to properly store bread?

First of all, you need to learn how to properly store bakery products. Then you don't have to try to get them soft again. There are not so many rules, they are all simple and accessible, but mandatory.

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 retain its softness for a week. Today, fabric can be replaced with baking paper.
• Housewives prefer to keep loaves and rolls in the refrigerator, but they don’t really think about choosing a shelf. It is best to put the bread in the warmest place, because. at temperatures below 2ºС, the component loses moisture much faster.

• To store the loaves, you can purchase or manually make special bags consisting of two layers of cotton fabric with a layer of polyethylene 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, you do not need to try to wrap the structure in cling film or polyethylene. Even without this, it will not go bad right in a bread box or a paper bag.

• If you need to keep the softness of buns or other small pastries for 2-3 days, put it in a saucepan and put a fresh apple in the same place.
• When homemade bread is planned to be stored for a long time, it should not be brought to full readiness during baking. Such a 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 not higher than -18ºС. Before use, it is heated in the oven or microwave oven, and it becomes like fresh. The main thing is to do it right before eating, such products become stale and dry very quickly.
• In order not to have to eat a stale product, put a couple of pieces of sugar, half an apple or a potato tuber in a bread box. 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 this is a bread box, it must be airtight. In the refrigerator, the component is kept in paper or multilayer bags. Before being sent to the freezer, the slices are wrapped in cling film.

How to restore softness to bread using kitchen appliances?

If no tricks helped and the product dried up, 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. Lay slices of bread on a baking sheet or parchment-lined grid, lightly sprinkle them with water or cover with a damp cloth. We process within 3-4 minutes.
• In the oven - 2 way. When the bread is very stale, but cut into slices, dip it for a couple of minutes in hot boiled water. Then we lay out the elements on a baking sheet and put them in the oven, heated to 160ºС. We hold for 10-15 minutes with the door slightly ajar (so excess moisture will come out).

• In the microwave - 1 way. We simply put the blanks 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 - 2 way. When the product is so stale that it is no longer possible to cut it, everything will have to be done in two stages. First, the loaf or part of it must be refreshed by sprinkling cool boiled water from a spray bottle. We spread 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 camera for the same 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 neglected, other approaches can be tried.

Additional ways to restore the softness of bread

If the above methods are to be applied right before the products are used, the following methods are used as soon as a problem is discovered. Of course, in this case, it is recommended to eat bread as soon as possible, at least during the day.

• Cut slices of 1 cm thick from the loaf, put them in a dry colander and place them over a pot 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.
• Put the slices or part of the loaf in a small saucepan, cover it with a lid. We place the container in a bowl, bowl or pan of a larger volume filled with boiling water. We wait until the water cools down, we check the quality of the bread. If necessary, repeat the approach.

• If the bread is already sliced, put it in a paper bag, add a stalk of fresh celery there. We carefully close the container and send it to the refrigerator for several hours. Then we take out the celery, it should dry noticeably, giving moisture to the bread.
• Still bakery products are restored in a double boiler. But here it is very difficult to calculate the time of exposure. You have to constantly make sure 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 the manufacture of crackers, meatballs, charlottes and many other delicious dishes.

Who among us has not noticed that when buying bread, he rarely counts on the right amount, and as a result, a piece of black, a piece of long loaf and the remains of rye are collected and dried in the breadbasket. How to make soft stale bread left after dinner or breakfast, do not throw it away. And since modern manufacturers add a lot of baking powder to the flour, so the bread gets stale very quickly.

How to make stale bread soft in the microwave

The easiest and most time-tested way to restore freshness to bread is to reheat it in the microwave. To do this, the dried pieces should be put in a bag and tightly tied, after which, at a power of 300 W, return softness to the bread in 2-3 minutes.

There is, however, one important nuance. This method in a bag is suitable for all types of bread from newfangled bakeries, where they take flour, baking powder for dough and add soda to increase mass. It is unrealistic to make such stale bread soft just by putting it on a plate and warming it up. It becomes "rubber" and is only suitable for further drying as future crumbs for breading. You can also make croutons for beer from stale bread, but it is important to remember if you are driving in the morning.

Ordinary black bread, which is baked using all technologies, as well as "Belarusian" and other varieties of natural yeast bread, is enough to put in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. At a power of 300-400 W, you can easily make such stale bread soft.

How to make stale bread soft in the oven

If there is no microwave, or you basically do not use this appliance on the farm, you can return freshness to the bread using the oven. To do this, it must be heated to 250 ° C, and while the oven is heating, wrap the bread in foil and lightly sprinkle with water to moisten. Then put on a baking sheet, making sure that it does not burn. A couple of minutes is enough to make stale bread soft again.

How to make soft stale bread from the freezer

The rest of the bread that has not been eaten can be frozen and, at the right time, simply pulled out and returned to freshness. To do this, on the “Defrost” mode, bring the bread to its usual form in 10-15 minutes, and then put it to warm up for another 30 seconds at a power of 700 watts. Such stale bread can be made soft for several hours, like any other that has already been in this state, after which it will finally become hard and inedible.

If you remember that sturgeon is only the first freshness, then the situation is exactly the same with bread. Now there is no shortage and there is absolutely no reason to buy it in large quantities and then throw it away. And if there are any leftovers, you can feed them to the birds!

Fragrant fresh bread with a crispy crust, still hot, the smell of which instantly awakens the appetite, is a favorite treat for many, but, unfortunately, all bakery products are perishable products and quickly lose their original properties.

One of the main features of the change in bread during storage is its hardening, which occurs due to the evaporation of moisture from the finished product. What to do with such a cherished product? It is quite possible to refresh it and with the help of simple ways to give it softness again. Basically, these methods are based on exposure to high temperatures and high humidity. Bread can be made soft again in the microwave, oven, pan, with 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 slices - the thickness of the slices for softening in the microwave should be about 2 centimeters.

It 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, in addition, in the microwave, you can place a saucer or a glass of warm water 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 with a special microwave lid made of plastic.
2. Moisten a paper towel in cool water, squeeze out excess moisture from it and wrap the dried bread, which is then placed in the microwave together with the towel for 10-20 seconds.

Softening in the oven

This method of preparatory operations practically does not differ from the method of softening in a microwave oven - stale pieces are pre-sprinkled 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 give softness, at 100-120 degrees - 5-8 minutes.

Even in the oven, you can refresh stale bread by wrapping it in food foil in advance, in which case the exposure 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 slow cooker, for this you need to withstand stale bread in the operating mode for 1-2 minutes.

In the absence of a double boiler or multicooker, you can use the usual pot and colander. Place the dry slices or the whole piece in a colander and place it over a pot 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 quite soft slices, suitable for consumption. The disadvantage of this method is the need for constant monitoring of the process - the product can absorb excess moisture, and it will have to be dried.

Restoring softness in the pan

This method cannot be called one of the most effective, although it may well be used. Stale bread, just as in the case of the oven and microwave, should be lightly moistened with water and then put on a dry frying pan heated over low heat and let stand from 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 direct sunlight falls on it, or on the battery, if, of course, they are hot. The softening process will take quite a long time, but the effect will be longer. After some time, due to the condensation that begins to form in the bag, the bread will begin to become soft.

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

Use of a leeward product

In the event that there is no need to restore the original properties of bread, it is quite possible to find application for it, namely:

• additionally dry, if necessary, using a mixture of seasonings, then use as crackers;
• add to minced meat as an ingredient in cutlets, meatballs, cabbage rolls and any other chopped semi-finished products;
• use as part of home baking - it can be various pies, pies;
• make breadcrumbs out of dry bread;
• prepare the croutons by first dipping the bread slices in the egg.

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

Also, when trying to reanimate stale slices, be sure to check them for mold, which is quite common on less than fresh bread. If at least the initial signs of the appearance of mold fungi are visible on the product, 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 properly.

• In the bakery. It is she who will provide the longest shelf life and maintain softness. Additionally, you can put sugar or salt poured into a small container in a bread box - this trick will maintain the optimal moisture level for storage.
• In plastic bags. This will keep the softness for 4-5 days. It is better to make holes in such packages (using a conventional hole punch), because 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 these bags in supermarkets.
• In a paper bag or wrapped in a sheet of paper. For this, it is absolutely impossible to use newspapers - harmful substances of 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 stale. And if it so happens that the product is still stale, make sure there are no other signs of spoilage and soften it in any of the proposed ways. And Bon Appetit!