Two ways to refresh, and then to fry stale bread with pleasure, and you will also see several suggestions for recycling. Let’s stop throwing away the bread we forgot about, what do you think ?!
I believe that it happens to all of us that we forget about a loaf of bread in a basket, buy another one or we just don’t feel like it. The next or the next day, that bread is usually not the most desirable snack, so it often ends up in the trash. And it was not necessary, with a little will and knowledge, it would be very desirable!
It often depends on the type of dough, so let’s say those made of sourdough or some homemade, can stand for a week and with this “revival”, they can be a perfect snack. On the other hand, sometimes the bread is in a bad condition even after three hours from the time you buy it, so it can be used the next day, and later only pretzels or similar can be made from it.
The first method involves heating and softening in the oven. It works great and you will get practically re-baked and soft bread. Others could be said to resemble toasted bread – it is great for snacking, spreading or sandwiches.
In addition, at the bottom of the post, you can find some interesting ideas for recycling, and when you see all that, you will realize that it is really a pity to throw away such a basic and valuable food.
How to soften old bread easy way
This way of softening old bread is most applicable to that type of pastry with a lot of crust, say a baguette or some such bread. It is characteristic of them that they dry very quickly and become straw, and at the same time rubbery.
You need baking paper (and I also came across information that al foil can be used), water, bread and a warm oven.
Turn on the oven to 140-150 ° C, but it does not have to be preheated when you add the bread. If the bread is not very old (say one day), just wet the paper, drain it, but so that a drop of water remains, wrap a loaf or pieces of bread with it and make a packet (close as well as possible). If the bread is older and dry, then spray it a little with cold water, but only the crust.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes and carefully check that the bread is soft and warm. If necessary, leave a little more in the oven, but do not overdo it so that it does not dry out. And that is that!
Of course, if you are in a hurry, you can also heat the bread in the microwave. However, this is often not the happiest solution. It is necessary to keep an eye on the warm-up time and check after about 10 seconds whether it is enough. If necessary, return for another ten seconds, but if it overheats, the bread will be wet and gooey, and as soon as it starts to cool, it will be gummy and inedible. I avoid this procedure, but when a person is in a hurry, it is not bad either.
Perfectly crispy and delicious stale bread!
Once you get used to this way of “recovering” bread, maybe you will start buying bread for tomorrow or a day later.
The procedure is simple and quick, and it raises a slice of bread to the level above, the bread softens finely, and it is wonderfully crispy all around and smells like butter. You don’t know if you prefer the taste or that sound of crunching when bitten. 🙂 As far as I’m concerned, I often use this procedure even when the bread is fresh, and I’m in the mood to pamper myself and make some great sandwich for dinner!
In any case, this is the perfect way to recover bread that doesn’t have a lot of crust, so it’s not like a baguette and can be cut into larger pieces. It works perfectly with homemade breads that are not very airy or with sourdough bread.
The procedure is very simple
You need bread, butter and a frying pan. Turn the hob to medium heat and place the pan to heat briefly. Lightly coat the slices of bread with butter (this time I spread a little more to see in the photos, but just lightly enough). Put in a pan and wait until it starts to smell and until the bread turns yellow on the underside. Turn and wait until it is done on the other side.
If you are going to heat a larger amount, after each tour, clean the pan with paper towels so that the particles of butter and bread do not start to burn and smoke (this is not very healthy, and therefore the temperature should not be strong).
Immediately throw yourself into the enjoyment – nibble on the bread yourself; pour a little honey or maple syrup and sprinkle with walnuts or almonds; spread some cheese spread and sprinkle with fresh herbs (chives, primrose, spice, basil) and toasted seeds; make something like a bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and basil; put a piece of cheese, ham, smoked salmon or whatever you like and arrange a fresh salad, avocado or some other vegetable over it. The possibilities are endless, and you will get a really tasty snack.
By the way, bread prepared in this way is not the least bit bad when it cools down, so don’t throw it away, but snack on it later as crackers.
What I haven’t mentioned yet are sandwiches! In fact, I got the idea for this way of heating bread through fast food in many cafeterias. Namely, sandwiches and salads are very popular here and you can find them in almost every restaurant-cafeteria. They are usually great, creative and very filling, and the main catch is that they usually grill the bread on one side and then sprinkle a little olive oil or butter. The sandwich is crispy and has a more intense taste, so I’ve been making it at home for some time now.
You probably already know that there are countless ways to use old bread. Sometimes it’s not in good enough condition to be able to recover it by eating it in its basic form, but recycling certainly helps! Of course, if mold starts to appear, then the poor bread really has to go in the trash and don’t try to save it.