It is possible to return a texture similar to the original with some tricks
Bread is a staple food in the diet of half the world. There are many varieties, such as wheat, rye, corn or rice, and also in many shapes and even flavors. There are sweet breads on the market, with raisins, with garlic, with seeds or with fruit, and there are more and more options. There are also many ways to eat it: sliced, toasted, in croutons, torrijas, grated…
With the high consumption that is usually made of bread, it is most likely that, after a few days, it ends up getting hard and loses part of its charm. The reason it hardens is none other than moisture. Bread contains a lot of water that is lost on contact with the air, so its conservation is different if it is stored in plastic, on paper or if it is left in the air. Therefore, the key to restoring the original texture is to restore moisture.
When the bread gets hard, there are ways to use it taking advantage of its new texture, such as grating it or toasting it, but if you want to recover its sponginess there are also some tricks (although it will never have the texture of freshly baked bread):
It is the classic way and the one that makes it tastier, although it is not particularly fast. To make it more appetizing, you should soak the bread in water for a few seconds, wrap it in aluminum foil without drying it and bake it at 150 degrees for 5 to 15 minutes depending on the size. In this way, the water vapor remains inside the aluminum and restores the texture to the bread.
With cooking steam
Following the same technique, steam can be used for cooking by boiling water in a pot. Once it boils strongly, remove it and place the bread on top with a strainer or basket so that the steam is impregnated. You can cover it to prevent steam from escaping and after about 10 minutes the bread will recover its texture.
Also looking for the steam from the hot water, this time it is about wrapping the bread in a damp cloth and heating it in the microwave at maximum power between 10 and 30 seconds. Don’t forget to check it every 10 seconds so it doesn’t go overboard. This process is the fastest, but its effect also lasts less time than any other, so you must consume it immediately.
#ways #soften #bread #hard