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.

Bread stale in the breadbasket tends to stale. If you have not had time to go to the nearest grocery store, then use one of the following methods to soften a stale slice.

The fastest way to soften stale bread is to use a microwave oven. Soak a paper towel in cold water and then squeeze as much water out of it as possible. Wrap a piece of bread in a damp towel. Send the bundle to the oven for 10 seconds. Remove the bread from the towel. You can serve bread on the table. Stale bread can be made edible using the oven. First, preheat the oven to 150°C. Cut out aluminum foil to wrap around your slice of bread. Cover bread completely with foil. Send the bundle to the oven for 5-20 minutes. The holding time in the cabinet depends on the size of the slice. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in foil.

The following method is well applicable to sliced ​​bread. Place the bread and celery stalk in the bag. Close the bag and send it to the refrigerator for several hours. The best results are shown by bread that has been placed overnight. Remove the celery from the package. The stalk should be dried up, as it gave some of the moisture to the bread. Stale bread can be freshened up using a steamer or a pan with a special steam rack. Steam the slices of stale bread for 5-7 minutes. Keep a close eye on the moisture content so that the bread does not absorb excess water and does not have to be dried in the oven.

You can chop the leftover stale bread and include it as an additional ingredient in soups, use it as a breading when frying fish and meat cutlets, or go with the whole family to feed the birds in the park.

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!

Bread should be fresh and soft. It is these pieces with a crispy crust and delicate aroma that most people prefer. Only bad luck: the loaves get stale too quickly and go to the crackers. If this state of affairs does not suit you at all, and you want to learn how to return the former freshness to stale bread, then these 3 methods will come in handy.

The main rule to be followed is that you can only refresh bread that is stale, but not moldy. If there are clear signs that the product has deteriorated, then you should come to terms with the fact that it can no longer be saved.

Bread becomes stale as it loses moisture, so all methods are aimed at re-saturating the pieces with moisture. This can be done in several ways: in the microwave, in the oven or in a double boiler.

1. Microwave

The fastest way to soften bread is to place the wet pieces in the microwave. Put a small container of water in there. Turn on for 15-20 seconds, check the degree of softness, then repeat 1-2 more times. As a rule, 40-50 seconds is enough for the bread to become soft. You need to check often, because if you overdo it, then it is quite possible that the effect will be exactly the opposite - the pieces will turn into crackers.

2. Oven

In order to soften the bread in the oven, you need to cut the same small pieces as for the microwave. Then wrap them with a paper towel soaked in water and place in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees. It takes 2-3 minutes for the bread to become soft again.

If there was no paper towel at hand, but there is foil, then you can also wrap bread in it. In this case, the exposure time in the oven should be increased to 10-15 minutes. It is important to let the bread cool without unwrapping the foil, then it will be really soft.

3. Steamer or colander with a saucepan

Steaming bread is another effective way that housewives know about. It usually takes 1-2 minutes in normal mode if a steamer is used.

If there is no such machine, then the usual steam bath will become an alternative. A colander is placed over a pot of boiling water. Pieces of bread are placed at the bottom of the colander, which actively absorb moisture. This method is simple, but requires care: if the bread is left to steam for too long, it may become soggy. In addition, you need to make sure that the bread does not touch the boiling water, this will also spoil the result.

The aroma of freshly baked bread with a crispy crust is so appetizing that it is impossible not to eat it. However, after a few hours, it may lose all its appetizing appearance. They prefer to make crackers out of stale bread or simply throw it away, without thinking that with the right use it can easily be made again insanely tasty and soft.

Proper storage of bread

In order not to bring bakery products to drying out and keep them fresh for a long time, you should be aware of a few simple rules:

1. After buying bread in the store, it should be wrapped in a linen or canvas towel. In this form, it can remain soft for a week.
2. To prolong the life of rolls and loaves, you need to send them to the refrigerator. It is preferable that the temperature be at least 2 degrees - the top shelf will do. If the value is less, then the product will begin to lose moisture faster and, therefore, spoil faster.
3. It is advisable to use cotton bags for storing loaves. Between them should be laid a plastic film with pre-made holes. Such bags can usually be found in supermarkets.
4. A great option to keep soft and prevent mold growth is to leave half an apple, a few pieces of sugar, a small piece of potato and a pinch of salt in a bowl of bread.

In addition, you need to constantly monitor that the bread box is always closed tightly.

Ways to soften dry bread

Bakery products are perishable products. Hardening in most cases occurs due to loss of moisture. However, you should not rush to throw out the loaf, because there are several useful tricks and methods that will help refresh it and make it softer.

Important!

If bread products have already been affected by mold or have a musty smell, it is highly undesirable to soften them, since severe poisoning can be obtained when eating bread with a fungus.

in the microwave

This method is the most efficient and fastest. But it should be borne in mind that after softening, the product must be consumed immediately, because after a few hours it will become even harder than it was before. You can apply several options suitable for any bread products:

1. Cut a roll 2 cm thick. Then sprinkle with water and put in the microwave for about 1 minute. It is advisable to leave the water poured into the container nearby. Every 15-20 seconds you need to check for readiness so that dried bread does not come out.
2. Wet the cut slices, squeeze, wrap in paper towel and put in the microwave for 15-25 seconds. This method will help keep the steam inside.

The amount of water that is required depends on how dry the product was. The second time to soften the bread will not work, so you need to eat it right away.

In the oven

If there is no microwave, you can refresh the loaf and make it edible using the oven. There are also two ways to do this:

1. Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet and lay out the cut slices in one layer. After you can sprinkle them with water, cover with a wet towel or foil. It is necessary to keep at 150 degrees for about 5 minutes. This option is suitable if the product has dried only on top.
2. If sliced ​​bread has dried out, you can fix it with high heat and hot water. It should be sent to a bowl of boiled water for about 1-1.5 minutes, covered with foil. After that, put on a baking sheet and send to the oven preheated to 155 degrees for 7-13 minutes. This method is suitable for heavily dried products.

other methods

The disadvantage of the previous methods is the need to immediately consume the bread after it has been softened. For a longer effect, there are other options:

In a double boiler

It is necessary to boil water in it, and then put dried products in a special basket, cover with a lid, leaving for about 3-4 minutes. In this way, even the toughest loaf can be saved.

in a frying pan

Not the most effective option, however, if there are no other means, it may well be suitable. At the beginning, you need to cut the bread and, sprinkled with water, put it in a frying pan, which should be warm and dry. Readiness should be checked after 4 minutes. It is advisable to constantly monitor the cooking process.

In a paper bag

Bread products and a stalk of celery should be put in a paper bag, tightly tied so that air does not enter. Put it in the refrigerator for about 4-6 hours. After the elapsed time, the celery will dry out, and the slices will fill with moisture.

Important!

Instead of towels, baking paper can be used to preserve the bread. In no case should it be stored in a newspaper, as the paint will easily be absorbed into the product.

Celery stalks can be omitted by putting pieces of bread in a plastic bag, also tied well and put on the windowsill in the summer season or on a hot battery in the winter. This is the longest process to soften products, but they will keep the freshness effect much longer than other methods. The soft bread will be due to condensation that will begin to form in the bag.

in a saucepan

The remains of a loaf or sliced ​​\u200b\u200bbread should be sent to any pan that has a tight-fitting lid. It should be put in pre-boiled water and wait about 10 minutes. When the water cools down, you can check the condition of the products, if this time was not enough, the procedure must be repeated.

On a water bath

If there is no slow cooker or double boiler available, then a colander and a saucepan are perfect. In it you need to boil quite a bit of water, and place pieces of bread about 1-2 cm thick in a colander on top. You need to heat up for about 4-6 minutes, constantly checking their condition. The main thing is that the water does not touch the slices, otherwise they will turn into porridge.

The use of stale bread

If there is no need to restore all the properties of bakery products, then you can easily use them in this form:

• use for minced meatballs, meatballs, cabbage rolls and other dishes;
• make delicious crackers with the addition of aromatic seasonings;
• make breadcrumbs;
• use for pies, pies and other pastries;
• make croutons.

To keep bread products for a long time, you need to follow a few tips:

1. It is advisable to start cutting the loaf from the middle, and then connect the halves, then it will not get stale longer.
2. If you put the products in the freezer, then you should wrap them in cling film first.
3. To prevent all the steam from leaving their microwave oven, when checking the readiness of bread, you should use a special plastic lid.
4. For the best effect when using the oven, the door should be slightly opened. So, all excess moisture will come out.
5. Do not store white and black bread in the same container because of the mixing of yeast, it begins to mold.
6. It is necessary to regularly wash the dishes where the loaf lies and wipe it with a solution of vinegar.
7. If the bread is self-cooked, then it must be cooled on a wire rack in a place where there are no drafts for about 3 hours.

To prevent bread from stale and stale, you need to know how to store it properly. If, nevertheless, the product began to become hard, then you need to make sure that there are no signs of damage and mold on it, and then soften it using one of the presented methods. The bread will again be fragrant, hot and crispy.