Fragrant fresh bread with a crispy crust, still hot, the smell of which instantly awakens the appetite, is a favorite delicacy for many, but, unfortunately, all bakery products are perishable products and quickly lose their original properties.
One of the main features of changes 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 wasteful product? It is quite possible to refresh it and, using simple methods, make it soft again. Basically, these methods are based on exposure to high temperatures and high humidity. Bread can be made soft again in the microwave, oven, or frying pan using 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 pieces - the thickness of the slices for softening in the microwave should be about 2 centimeters. This can be done in two ways.
- Sprinkle the stale pieces a little with water and place in the oven for a maximum of 60 seconds; additionally, you can place a saucer or glass of warm water in the microwave 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 it with a special microwave cover made of plastic.
- Soak a paper towel in cool water, squeeze out excess moisture and wrap the dried bread, which is then placed in the microwave with the towel for 10-20 seconds.
Bread resuscitation
Before you begin rescuing stale slices, you should take a close look at them. The presence of mold is a signal that this product is unsuitable for food. You don’t need to think that the fungus is limited only to those spots on the surface that you were able to notice and cut off. If you find at least one “patch”, rest assured: the mycelium has already sprouted everywhere, you can only see it with high magnification in a microscope. Eating bread contaminated with mold fungi is dangerous to health.
Proven Methods
, steam procedures were most often used for these purposes
Modern methods
No one is saying that ancient knowledge about how to refresh stale bread is outdated or doesn't help get the job done. You can use them if you wish. However, technological progress has already made housework more comfortable and less time-consuming than it was in the time of our great-grandmothers. And now it’s hard to imagine kitchens without sophisticated household appliances that “know” exactly how to soften dried bread:
If you have already chosen a way to refresh bread in the microwave, then it’s time to remember that the magical transformation of a stale brick into fresh baked goods will not take long: after two hours, the fragrant soft slices will become very hard crackers.
Tenderizing in the oven
This method of preparatory operations is practically no different from the method of softening in a microwave oven - the stale pieces are first sprayed 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 soften, at 100–120 degrees – 5–8 minutes.
While still in the oven, you can refresh stale bread by wrapping it in food foil in advance; in this case, the holding 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.
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Steam recovery
The simplest version of this method is softening in a double boiler or multicooker; for this you need to keep the stale bread in operating mode for 1–2 minutes.
If you don’t have a double boiler or multicooker, you can use a regular saucepan and colander. Place the dry slices or whole piece in a colander over a pan 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 completely soft slices that are suitable for consumption. The disadvantage of this method is the need for constant monitoring of the process - the product may absorb excess moisture and will have to be dried.
Everything for beauty
To get a fresh and healthy complexion, you need to apply a mask several times a week. To prepare it, mix 1 egg white and 3 tbsp. l. warm milk, then add wheat crackers. The prepared gruel is applied for 20 minutes.
To make your 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 decoction. Then 1 yolk and 1 tsp are sent there. castor oil And in the fight against cellulite, massage with bread crumbs will help perfectly. To do this, mix 50 grams of crushed crackers, a teaspoon of olive oil and 3 tbsp. l. honey. This mass is laid out on problem areas and rubbed in for 10 minutes in a circular motion.
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 it receives direct sunlight, or on the radiator, if, of course, they are hot. The softening process will take quite a long time, but the effect will be longer. After some time, thanks to the condensation that begins to form in the bag, the bread will begin to become soft.
You can place the dry bread in a bag along with the celery root and refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours). In this case, the pieces of product should be as small as possible. After the specified time has passed, you can see how the celery has dried out, giving up its moisture to the now soft product.
The most important rules for making your yeast baked goods soft
Perhaps I will tell you what many people know, but I will say it anyway. To ensure that your yeast mixture always turns out soft, follow the following rules.
1. Do not use margarine and a lot of salt in yeast baked goods, as they reduce fermentation.
2. Immediately after kneading the dough, let it rise. But do not over-ferment it. The dough should be placed under plastic for proofing, but not left in a pan or other container. Now you have made the dough, kneaded it and put it on a clean, dry, dusted surface.
3.When the dough has doubled in size, begin making the products.
Use of the weathered product
In the event that there is no need to restore the original properties of bread, it can easily be used, namely:
- Dry it further, using a mixture of seasonings if necessary, and then use it as crackers. In this case, the main thing is to know at what temperature to dry the crackers in the oven in order to obtain an excellent ingredient for soups and salads from the weathered product;
- add to the minced meat as an ingredient in cutlets, meatballs, cabbage rolls and any other chopped semi-finished products;
- use as part of homemade baked goods - these can be various pies, pies;
- make breadcrumbs from dry bread;
- Prepare the croutons by first dipping the bread slices in the egg.
Important!
It should be borne in mind that it is necessary to soften stale bread immediately before eating it. The reconstituted product remains soft for no more than 2 hours, and it will not be possible to make it soft again.
In addition, when trying to revive stale slices, be sure to check them for the presence of mold, which is quite often found on bread that is not the first freshness. If the product shows at least initial signs of the appearance of mold fungi, 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.
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Where is stale bread used?
If baked goods have become very stale at home, they are given a second life:
- added to main courses: minced meat, cutlets, cabbage rolls, etc., while the crackers soften in a humid environment and improve the consistency of the food;
- prepare crackers: chop finely, add spices, dry;
- added to pie dough;
- make croutons (with or without eggs);
- grind, prepare breadcrumbs;
- you can make tartines with different fillings, for example, with sprats and pickled cucumber or fresh tomatoes and cheese;
- kvass.
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 correctly.
- In the bread bin. It is this that will ensure the longest shelf life and maintain softness. Additionally, you can put sugar or salt poured into a small container in the bread bin - this trick will maintain the optimal humidity level for storage.
- In plastic bags. This will ensure that it stays soft for 4-5 days. It is better to make holes in such bags (using a regular hole punch), since 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 such bags in supermarkets.
- In a paper bag or wrapped in a sheet of paper. You should absolutely not use newspapers for this - harmful substances from 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 linger. And if it so happens that the product has become stale, make sure there are no other signs of spoilage and soften it using any of the proposed methods. And Bon Appetit!
Adviсe
To store bread products for a long time, you need to follow a few tips:
- It's a good idea to start by cutting the loaf down the center, then pressing the halves together so it doesn't harden any further.
- If you are putting food in the freezer, you should wrap it in cling film first.
- To prevent all the steam from escaping from the microwave, you should use a special plastic lid when checking the doneness of the bread.
- For best results, keep the oven door slightly open when using the oven. This way, all excess moisture will come out.
- It is not necessary to store black and white bread in the same container, as the yeast mixes and mold begins to form on it.
- You need to regularly wash the dishes in which the loaf is located and wipe it with a vinegar solution.
- If you are making your own bread, cool it on a wire rack in a draft-free place for about 3 hours.
To avoid stale and stale bread, you need to know how to store it properly. If the product begins to harden, you need to make sure there are no signs of damage or mold on it, and then soften it using one of the methods presented. The bread will become fragrant, warm and crispy again.
Sources
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