How to soften hard baguette

[Anonymous]

Got two baguettes, ate one and left the other one in the bag for a couple days. It is now rock hard! How do I soften it up?

[Anonymous]

Damp paper towel, microwave, eat within 30 seconds or it will get hard again.

[Anonymous]

I've done this before and it worked:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5887561_soften-dry-baguettes.html

However, you must eat it immediately after doing this or else it will harden up again.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PPs! How do I keep it from getting hard in the first place? Keep it in an air tight bread container?

[Anonymous]

to keep baguettes from getting hard, put it into a ziplock and freeze. when you need it, put it in some aluminum foil and reheat in the oven or toaster oven (usually at 300 or so). it takes about 15 minutes or so.

[Anonymous]

Yep, if you don't want them to get hard, cut, wrap, and freeze.

However, you don't have to reheat in the oven. I reheat in the microwave and the bread never gets gummy. 10-30 seconds depending on how thickly it's sliced. Just only reheat what you need.

[Anonymous]

Your best bet is a time machine.

This is why the French buy their bread daily. No preservatives, etc.

[Anonymous]

Thanks 16:48 and 19:21. I'll remember that next time. I had some ciabatta bread go hard in the fridge before so I thought by leaving the bread out they wouldn't get hard. Wrong, wrong, wrong. So in the freezer they will go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PPs! How do I keep it from getting hard in the first place? Keep it in an air tight bread container?

I keep mine in a gallon size zip lock and it will stay soft for days on end.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, if I don't eat a baguette the day I buy it, I cut it up for croutons. Or toss it if it's just the end. Or make bread pudding.

[Anonymous]

I like the ziplock bag, croutons, bread puddings ideas, too. But why do the baguettes and ciabatta bread go hard but regular sandwich bread stay soft in or out of the refrigerator?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the ziplock bag, croutons, bread puddings ideas, too. But why do the baguettes and ciabatta bread go hard but regular sandwich bread stay soft in or out of the refrigerator?

additives.

[Anonymous]

Hard baguette makes fabulous French toast.

[Anonymous]

I have the kids make french bread pizza with it (or the going-stale bagels).

[Anonymous]

I guess you soften it up first? It's so hard that it's difficult to get a knife through it