How to Freshen Stale Bread

Last Updated: December 31, 2020 Tested

Many types of bread can be made fresh again, allowing you to finish the bread rather than toss it away. There are different ways to revive stale bread, mostly using heat and moisture.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:
Oven Heating with Foil

1
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2
Add moisture to the loaf of bread. Either rub an ice cube or drizzle a small amount of water on the bread's crust until it gets damp. Then cover with aluminum foil.

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3
Bake for about 10 minutes.
4
Eat the bread as usual. You'll be glad you didn't throw the bread away!

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Method 2

Method 2 of 5:
Oven Heating with Moisture

1
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2
Dampen the loaf of bread by wrapping it in a clean and damp dish towel.
3
Put the wrapped loaf of bread into an oven. Heat the wrapped bread until the towel is no longer wet. Keep an eye on it, as this should only take a few minutes.
4
Take the loaf of bread out of the oven. After removing the bread from the oven, your loaf should now have the texture of bread that has been freshly baked.

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Method 3

Method 3 of 5:
Oven Heating with a Paper Bag

1
Preheat the oven to 350ºC (180ºC).
2
Find a paper bag large enough to place the loaf of bread into. Slide the paper bag over the stale loaf.
3
Sprinkle water lightly over the paper bag. Do not wet the bag, just do a light sprinkling.
4
Put the loaf in its bag on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven.
5
Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the loaf of bread after the time is up, and take the paper bag off it. The bread will have softened and is ready to be eaten again.

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Method 4

Method 4 of 5:
Stove Top Heating (Slices of Bread)

1
Pour a few cups of water in a shallow and wide pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
2
Place a vegetable steamer/splatter guard atop the pot. It should be broader than the pan's width. This item will create a holding platform for the slices of bread; it should fit 1 to 2 slices of bread with ease, depending on the width of your pan.
3
Place 1 to 2 slices of bread on top of the steamer or splatter screen. Leave in place for 1 to 2 minutes, allowing the steam to quickly and effectively soften the bread.
4
Remove from the pan. The slices of bread are now fresh and ready for eating. Repeat for all slices of bread needed.

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Method 5

Method 5 of 5:
Microwave Heating

1
Sprinkle water on the bread's crust. Cover with a paper towel and dampen the towel with more sprinkles of water.
2
Place the loaf of bread in the microwave. Microwave for 15 seconds.
3
Remove from the microwave. Take the paper towel off the loaf of bread. The bread is now ready to eat.

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