How to Make Stale Bread Soft

Stale bread can be revived and softened by adding a small amount of moisture to it.

When soft bread ages and becomes stale and hardened, you may think it's unsalvageable. If the bread is hard but hasn't started to grow mold, it is still perfectly edible---it just needs a little coaxing to soften it back to a state that is comparable to fresh bread. Carefully adding a small amount of moisture to stale bread can make it more pliable without becoming soggy. It can also help you prevent unnecessary waste by throwing away edible bread.

Things You'll Need

• Brown paper bag
• Baking sheet
• Spray bottle
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Large bowl
• Water

Instructions

1. Set your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert your stale bread into a brown paper bag and fold or crumple the end of the bag to loosely cover the bread.

2. Set the bag onto a baking sheet. Fill a spray bottle with water, then spritz it onto the paper bag until it is lightly moistened.

3. Bake the moistened bag containing the stale bread for about five minutes---the light coating of water on the outside of the bag will both prevent the bag from burning and gently add moisture into the bread. Remove the bag from the oven, then carefully take the bread out of the bag and use it immediately.

4. Cut the bread into cubes or slices if it starts to harden before you can eat it. Place the bread cubes or slices into a bowl and sprinkle them lightly with water.

5. Let the bread cubes or slices sit for about five to 10 minutes. Serve them alone or eat them with cheese or vegetables.

Tips & Warnings

• If you can't get your bread to soften to your satisfaction, warm it in the oven until it's crispy, then use it on salads as homemade croutons.

• Always consume bread immediately after you soften it or it could harden and you won't be able to revive it a second time.

References

• Chow.com: refresh stale bread
• Washington Post: The wonders of stale bread