
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I rediscovered the magic of good crusty bread from a bakery. As a mom to 4 kids, my consumption of bread was mostly limited to the loaves of white sandwich bread that were a staple at our house. (Of course, that was before my son Kell was officially diagnosed with celiac disease, but I digress.) Sometime after my kids became capable of making their own sandwiches, I quickly fell back in love with crusty baguettes, boules, and other delicious artisan breads.
Related: This Is The Easiest And Best Homemade Bread You’ll Ever Make
But since I was the only one eating them at the time, my delicious bakery breads would often become stale bread before I was able to finish them. But then I was introduced to a genius trick to revive stale bread, and my problem was solved entirely!
I was skeptical that it would work, but I was honestly shocked by the result! I was able to take stale, nearly inedible bread and transform it back into soft, chewy bread with a beautifully crusty exterior.

This is a must-know trick for anyone who enjoys good, crusty bakery bread like I do. (The emphasis here is on “crusty bread,” because since this method involves water, it won’t work well on soft, spongy types of bread.) It’s also great for entertaining. Impress your guests with “fresh out of the oven”-tasting bread with dinner!
How It Works:
Over time, the starches in bread undergo what is called retrogradation, which means the water in it works its way to the surface of the loaf and evaporates. This causes the bread to become hard and brittle. However, by adding water and heat back into the bread, this process can be reversed—at least temporarily.
Give this stale bread-reviving trick a try, and I’m sure you’ll be just as pleasantly surprised as I was! :-)

How To Soften Stale Bread
You’ll need:
- A loaf of crusty stale bread
- Tin foil
Directions:

Run the loaf of bread under water to moisten the outside. (If the bread has been cut, try to avoid getting the cut end wet.)

Next, wrap the loaf in a piece of tin foil.

Place the loaf in a cold oven, and set it to preheat to 300°F. Once you’ve turned on the oven, set a timer for 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off, remove the foil from the bread and place it back in the oven. Bake it for 5 more minutes to allow the exterior to get nice and crusty.

Then eat and enjoy! I have found that “revived” stale bread is best when eaten within 30 minutes of reheating (and when smeared with a thick layer of butter, of course!)

How It Works:
Do you have any tricks for reviving stale foods? Share it with us in a comment below! :-)
This is a great informative site. But, it wears me out the amount of advertising. You start reading and think “Is this all there is?” No, there are so many ads to muddle through, Jilly must be getting rich every time we scroll.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Tired of throwing away stale bread, I now keep a loaf of sliced bread in the freezer and, depending on what I use it for, I quickly thaw it in the microwave or pop it in the toaster.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you wrap your unused celery stalk in aluminum foil, it will last for several weeks and not get limp or go bad.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I revive muffins and pastries that are dried out by placing them in the microwave with a shotglass of water. Just one minute later they are fresh and moist.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.wow! great great tip! Thank you for this!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.when your cookies get hard soften them by placing a slice of bread and seal in plastic.. Bread comes out hard and cookies, brownies or whatever are soft…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I revive leftover rolls by wrapping in damp paper towel and placing in microwave for about 20-25 seconds. Taste just like when they were fresh.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have tossed a couple of loaves of brick-hard bread. Sounds like a great trick. I never would have thought! I have revived old crackers that have lost their crunch with a quick trip through a low oven.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A dairy farmer friend discovered that his daughter could drink milk from their farm because their cows were genetically different and produced a predominately different protein than store bought. (Protein A vs. B.) I wonder if the same is true for wheat? Current wheat varieties were bred for disease resistance, drought and yield. So perhaps an heirloom variety might not produce the same celiac problems. Just thinkin…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I read an article that said the lactose changes when pasturized. Lactose intolerant people may be able to drink raw milk, and milk products. (BIL is organic farmer. I often read the newsletters and magazines when there.)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I grew up on raw milk. But remember the risks involved. Today you have many alternatives. So many recommendations are based on casual observation. Don’t trust all of it.
I heat soft taco shells in the oven for 5 minutes after brushing each side with water, stacking them, and wrapping them in tin foil. I’m curious why the bread needs to be put into a “cold” oven. How does that help?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It comes up to temperature more gradually, so that water heats more slowly and creates more steam :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can microwave two slices of stale sandwich bread for about 10 seconds and they will be soft and delicious again.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is interesting . We’ve never done this at our house. I’m kind of trying to watch it on the regular bread products. I think I might be Celiac- from talking to others. My folks still eat regular bread.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I revive stale rolls by placing them in a small brown paper bag that I’ve wet, and then place them in the toaster oven @ 300 degrees for a few minutes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Me too Bonnie!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love to make biscuits. They are stale the next day. I learned to wet them and wrap is a moist paper towel and heat in microwave for a few seconds. Good as fresh made!
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