An advice from a food waste expert shares how to turn stale bread fresh from the oven in just 10 seconds by using this kitchen household item – and it tastes so good
What could you possibly do with a stale loaf of bread? Various food recipes work well with it, but there’s a simple technique to soften it in seconds. Buying a fresh and warm loaf of bread or a baguette at your local bakery is the best feeling (and it just tastes so good).
One thing that you might not know is that it tends to go stale much faster than processed breads. But don’t worry, this tip from a food waste expert from The Kitchn is going to save your day. It will only take 10 seconds and a microwave.
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How to soften stale bread in seconds
As reported by the site, when a loaf of bread comes out straight from the oven or microwave, the change in temperature makes the starch molecules reform and harden, a process known as starch retrogradation.
This is when the water that gets absorbed during the baking process eventually evaporates. Naturally, bread that was once soft becomes hard over the days.
To bring it to its softener mode, you can do it with a microwave. To do so, wrap the bread in a damp towel and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Then, put it on high for 10 seconds, repeating the process only if necessary.
But be careful – keep an eye out during the process to ensure that the bread doesn’t overcook or that the towel doesn’t catch fire. And that’s it, it’s as easy as it sounds.
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How to store bread
There are various ways to store bread, but the best way is to keep it in its original bag or packaging. However, on some occasions, there will be leftovers, and no one likes to waste food.
Bread has a short shelf life of three to seven days when kept at room temperature. However, bread can be kept in the freezer for weeks, and even months, preventing it from going stale.
As previously reported in the Mirror, another method to keep bread fresh for up to two weeks is to make small holes in the bag and pop the bread in the fridge.
The purchase date of a loaf of bread is unknown. However, shoppers who get their bread from the supermarket typically stock up between five and seven days before its use-by date. Therefore, this means that the bread remains mould-free for up to 15 days.