# Is there a way to return some moisture to bread?



## Ardor (Sep 22, 2006)

When i baked a loaf, it usually goes in about half a day. Yesterday was different. My bread did not go as quickly as usual. I kept it warm in the lowest shelf of an off oven. The crust dried out, but the inside is still moist. How do i return some moisture to it?


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## licia (Sep 22, 2006)

My mother used to put leftover bread in a brown bag which was sprinkled with water, close it tightly and leave in a warm oven for a few minutes. I don't know if that would work with your bread if it had been left a while, but you could try it and see. You can always crumb it and use in recipes or put in cubes and make croutons.


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## Chopstix (Sep 22, 2006)

Before serving the bread, wrap in foil and bake in oven 350F 15 min.  You're steaming it in effect, allowing bread to taste moist.  Consume immediately, otherwise the bread will become dry again when it cools.


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## Gretchen (Sep 22, 2006)

I put my bread in a plastic bag. It stays quite moist and good for as long as the loaf lasts.  Putting it back in an oven will certainly dry it out.


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## Andy M. (Sep 22, 2006)

Wrap the bread in a damp paper towel and microwave it for about 30-60 seconds.


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## Chausiubao (Sep 24, 2006)

put it in a steaming rack and steam it for several minutes. That way water is actually going INTO the bread, and not going from the center of the bread to the outer edge. 

Anyway, steaming works.


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## Ancho Joe (Sep 25, 2006)

The microwave suggestion is a good one.  I don't know about 30-60 seconds; I'd try 10 second intervals until it's moist.


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## philso (Sep 25, 2006)

if you'll be keeping future loaves warm in the oven, you can help keep the crust from drying out by wrapping it tightly in foil.

bread storage is always problematic. if you keep it in something air-permeable, it dries out. if you keep it in something impermeable, you lose the crispyness of the crust, but at least it remains fairly moist.

i don't know about the steamer approach. i think the very outside of the crust could get quite soggy. i'd either try licia's approach or wrap the loaf in a moistened tea towel, wrap it in foil, and place in a hot oven for 5 or 10 minutes or so. this is like what chausiubao suggests, but not so aggressive.


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## Dina (Sep 25, 2006)

After baking fresh bread or buying a loaf in a paper bag, place it in a large gallon zip loc and take all the air out (vacume pack sort of thing) and it will stay fresh and moist for a few days.


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## Chausiubao (Sep 26, 2006)

Well you won't be leaving the bread in there for too long, it doesn't take too long to steam the bread warm and moist. So long as you watch it, it won't get soggy. 

The only problem with it that I see is that it takes a bit more work then nuking the bread. But it just seems strange to attempt to remoisten the bread by removing even more water from it.


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## prada (Sep 27, 2006)

if it is dry i just toast it... i hate soggy bread, cause that is what happens when you steam it


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## subfuscpersona (Sep 27, 2006)

I use Chausiubao's steaming technique all the time -  works fine as long as the bread is sliced or relatively small. It wouldn't work for 1/2 a loaf b/c it would take too long for steam to penetrate the inside; the outside would get mushy before the inside got moist. This technique is best for dense breads (like a left-over bagel sliced in half).

If the bread is soggy after steaming you've steamed it too long. You want just  gentle steam and let it vent from the lid of the steamer. Or, instead of a lid, cover the top of the steamer with a folded tea towel.

I think next time I refreshen bread by steaming I might try puttiing the bread in a paper bag before steaming it; that would protect the bread from too much direct contact with moisture. Nice idea. I love low-tech solutions.


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