How to Soften Bread

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posted on 10 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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If your bread has gotten stale or hard, fret not! You can easily get it warm to soften it up. If you want to soften a slice of bread, wrap it in a paper towel and microwave it for 10 seconds. If you have a hard loaf of bread or a baguette, run it under your faucet, and cook it at 300–325 °F (149–163 °C) for 6-7 minutes. You can easily make your bread fresh again in just a few minutes!

Steps

Softening Sliced Bread

Hold a paper towel under your faucet to get it wet. Turn your water on, and hold 1 sheet of paper towel under the water. You want the towel to be wet but not soaking. Ring out any excess moisture if you need to. You can use either warm or cool water.

Wrap the paper towel around a slice of bread so it covers both sides. Hold your bread in 1 hand and the paper towel in the other, and gently place the paper towel around the bread. Then, wrap the paper towel onto the other side of the slice. If you are having trouble, try placing the bread flat on a surface and wrapping 1 side at a time.

Place the bread on a microwave-safe plate. You can set the wrapped slice of bread in the center of the plate. Make sure your plate is made of microwave-safe material before you place it in the microwave. You can microwave glass and ceramic dishes or paper plates.

Microwave the bread for 10 seconds. Set your cooking time to 10 seconds, and press "Start." Once the time is up, your bread is softened and ready to serve! Unwrap your bread from the paper towel after it cools down.

Freshening a Loaf or Baguette

Place a full loaf of bread under running water for 1-5 seconds. You can use either hot or cool water to wet your bread. Simply hold your bread under the running water for a few seconds. Position the bread so the cut-side is away from the faucet, if you can. If the bread on the inside gets a little wet, that’s okay.

Set your oven to 300–325 °F (149–163 °C). If your oven has a “warm” setting, select this and let your oven begin to warm up. If your oven does not have a “warm” setting, set it for around 300 °F (149 °C). Oven temperatures may vary, so use a temperature that works for a light toasting if you are unsure.

Put your bread in the center of your oven directly on the rack. To warm your bread consistently, place it in the middle of your rack. Place it in your oven as it is heating up. Alternatively, you can use a baking sheet if you’d like. This is not required, however.

Let your bread cook for 6-7 minutes. Set a timer on your stove, microwave, or phone for about 6 minutes, and check on your bread after the timer is up. Your loaf should be warm and soft. If your loaf is very wet, you may need to extend the cooking time to 10-12 minutes.