Inspired by conversations on the Food52 Hotline, we're sharing tips and tricks that make navigating all of our kitchens easier and more fun. Today: Forgot to stale the bread? Not to worry—stay calm, follow these easy-peasy steps, and carry on.
So you think your days of emergency bread-staling are over, do you? The stuffing's behind you? There are bread puddings and breadcrumbs and croutons in your future yet. And amidst your adept holiday meal-planning, you might (just might) let staling the bread slip.
When that happens, don't scrap the bread pudding. (Never scrap the bread pudding.) Here is what to do.
If you remember with a day to go, slice your loaf.
The more of the bread's surface area you expose to air, the faster it will stale; slice it, and you're giving yourself a leg up on the whole process. (If you'll eventually be cubing your bread, be careful to cut it into slices with the same thickness you'd like your cubes to have.) Lay the slices on a cooling rack you'd normally use for cookies, let the air circulate, and watch your bread go gloriously brittle. Tomorrow it will be ready to turn into breadcrumbs or put into that pudding.
If you truly have no time, turn to your oven.
Giving your bread a quick bake in a 350ºF oven will starve it of its moisture—which is exactly what you're looking for. Cut your loaf into evenly sized cubes or slices (depending on what you're making), and toast them, dry, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Proceed with your recipe. (Please save us some.)
A Few Recipe Ideas for All That Stale Bread
This Tuscan bread soup takes just five simple ingredients (think: tomatoes, garlic, and stale bread) and magically turns them into a spectacular dish.
"For our first dinner in the new house, my mom made a staple of Mexican home cooking, albóndigas (meatballs in a tomato sauce)," writes Isabel Torrealba in her My Family Recipe.
French toast goes the savory route in this extra-crispy version with a healthy kick of salt and freshly ground pepper. Maple syrup gets swapped for ketchup, or if you're feeling like something spicy, Sriracha.
This "kitchen-sink" dish works for almost anything you've got lying around the fridge (from soon-to-be-wilty greens to leftover sausage), yet looks impressive on a dinner table.
We'll admit it: Our favorite part of French onion soup is the melty-crispy cheese on top. But those hunks of crisp, stale bread give the soup its classic, comforting heartiness.
How do you stale bread in a hurry? Tell us in the comments!
Photos by James Ransom
FAQs
If you remember with a day to go, slice your loaf.
How do you purposely stale bread? ›
To stale lots of bread slices, position oven racks close together, then place a baking sheet in between them and stand up the slices of bread between the rungs. Warm the oven to 300 degrees and keep a close eye on the slices until they dry and slightly toast. Then the bread is ready to be cut into cubes or used as is.
How do you dry out bread to make it stale? ›
Start by cutting the bread of your choice into half-inch cubes. Spread the cubed bread on top of two cooling racks set in two half-sheet pans. Heat your oven to the lowest setting (typically 150°–200°F) and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until completely dry.
Can you dry bread in an air fryer? ›
To dry out bread for stuffing, dressing and other bread puddings, cook the plain bread cubes (no oil or seasonings) in the air fryer at 350 degrees F until toasted and dried through, 4 to 5 minutes.
How to dry bread in the microwave? ›
I wrap the bread (loaf, slice, doesn't matter) in a damp paper towel and microwave for a short amount of time. 10-15 seconds for a slice.
How to stale bread in the oven? ›
Let them dry out at room temperature over the next couple days. If you don't have the time, you can speed up the drying-out process by using the oven. Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and bake in a low oven set at 225 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until dry.
Why is stale bread so hard? ›
As this happens, the starches partially revert to their crystalline structure, which causes the bread to become hard and brittle. But fortunately, this process can be reversed—at least temporarily. That's because there is still some water left in the bread.
How long does it take for bread to go stale? ›
Commercially baked breads and rolls can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 4 days or 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator. Bread products retain their quality when stored in the freezer for 3 months. Any breads containing meat or hard cooked eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours.
How to stale sliced bread? ›
Arrange the slices or cubes into a single layer on a half-sheet pan. Do not season or coat the bread with oil. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the bread is toasted and dry, but not browned. Use the dried-out bread in your recipe.
What can I use if I don't have stale bread for French toast? ›
Ideally, the bread should be slightly stale. A drier bread will soak up all the custard. Bread can be left out with the wrapper open the day before cooking. If you find yourself in a pinch, dry your bread slices in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes before soaking them in the custard.
Toasting is a common method of making stale bread more palatable. Bread is commonly toasted using a toaster or a toaster oven.
Does wetting stale bread work? ›
Don't toss that loaf of hardened bread. You can revive stale bread with a little water and a warm oven.
How do you make stale bread not mold? ›
Regardless if it's store-bought, bakery-fresh or homemade, bread stays fresh longer when it's in a relatively air-tight environment since circulation speeds up the staling process, says Atlanta chef Jennifer Hill Booker. Mold thrives in airy, warm locations, so look for cool, dry areas to keep your bread.
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