Comments on How to refresh hard, dried bread?
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How to refresh hard, dried bread?
How to refresh hard, dried bread?
I'm talking about leavened bread.
I know that it is possible, but difficult, some kind of an art, and I know ways not to do it.
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Soaking it in water quickly will make it soaking wet, making the pores collapse and totally destroying the texture.
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Soaking it too short will only soften the outer layer.
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Soaking it for days will get it moldy.
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Steaming it encounters similar problems, but is probably on the right path.
Anyone here who was done it successfully? What to do, and what to avoid?
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Depending on the "variety" of hardness, heating the bread slowly can work. When bread goes stale, it (the proteins, if I remember correctly) crystalizes, and the heat denatures them again. And you want to do that slowly, since doing it quickly toasts the bread.
I picked it up as wrapping it (foil or a brown paper bag) and heating it at 300°F (150C) for five minutes at a time until it seems usable.
Also, I remember, when consumer microwaves were new, that heating bread there for about a minute turned it absurdly soft, but if you didn't eat it soon it turned rubbery. Presumably, the technology (and training) has gotten better, but it's beyond my experience.
I have also heard that, for more difficult situations, especially pre-packaged bread, of people sealing a couple of celery stalks in a bag with the bread overnight, though I have never tried that, either.
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