Even easier hack. Microwave with a moist paper towel over the bread. 15 seconds max.
Simply spray the paper towel with a good amount of water (you want it damp) and then wrap you bread in it, and microwave for 15--20 seconds. You get warm bread that's much softer and fresher-tasting than before! Just make sure to eat it quick because it stiffens up again as it cools.
Microwaving dries meat by removing water; microwaving bread does the same thing, which is why a slice of bread - or dinner roll or tortilla - will become tough and chewy if overheated for even 5 seconds. Most restaurants do not have microwaves. Those that do, refer to the microwave as ``Chef Mike''.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Take the loaf of bread and wrap it in some aluminum foil to retain moisture. Bake on a baking sheet for anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes--baking time will depend on the efficiency of your oven. Take out of the oven and serve warm, or let the bread cool to room temperature if necessary.
Microwaves do soften bread, but the results aren't perfect. Within a few minutes, the bread usually turns rubbery and even tougher than before. This is the fastest method, but it's best to save it for an immediate snack. This happens because the microwave boils away some of the water.
In the oven: Preheat oven to 200° or Warm setting. Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
Before microwaving your bread, cover it with a dampened paper or kitchen towel — just make sure the towel touches the bread directly. This will prevent it from drying out, as the water in the towel will lock in the bread's moisture.
Bread isn't dangerous to microwave, but it doesn't taste great! Microwaving heats bread from the inside out, so you miss out on the nice crunchy exterior you get from toasting. Plus, microwaving bread re-gelatinizes the starch in the dough, giving it an unpleasant soft and chewy texture.
foil. Storing bread in either plastic, cloth, or foil helps retain the loaf's moisture. This moisture retention is a plus when it comes to the bread's crumb (interior) — but a minus if you're talking crunchy-crispy crust, since wrapping bread will inevitably soften its crust as well as its crumb.
To prevent food from becoming soggy in the microwave try covering the food with a lid or a paper towel this will prevent steam from setting on the food.
The solution is to put your lovely bread into a zip lock storage bag, then place that bag into a second plastic bag. Place a moistened, damp paper towel in between the two bags and zip it shut. Using this little trick should help your bread stay fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Therefore, the water inside the bread heats ups and evaporates in less than seconds. This evaporation then transforms to steam and surrounds the bread. The result? A soggy and unpleasant chewiness.
Simply spray the paper towel with a good amount of water (you want it damp) and then wrap you bread in it, and microwave for 15–20 seconds. You get warm bread that's much softer and fresher-tasting than before!
Place Warm Rice Under the Bread
All you need to do is to microwave some rice until it gets warm, wrap it with a dish towel or cloth napkin and then place it at the bottom of the container you're carrying your bread in. Make sure that the bread is also wrapped in material that will help it retain heat.
Revive stale bread - stick a slice in the microwave for 5-10 seconds max to revive it. If your baguette has gone soft, sprinkle with a little water and bake for 10 mins at 180 to revive that lovely, crisp crust.
DO NOT OVER-HEAT OR THE BREAD WILL BECOME TOUGH. If you are using a microwave oven that has the Micro Steam function, place the bread on a double-layer of paper towels on a plate. Heat on Micro Steam 300W for 20 seconds. Flip the bread over and heat again for 20 seconds or more until bread is warmed to your liking.
Once your bread has been microwaved, the steam evaporates and the sugars harden, producing a loaf that is dry and tough. On the other hand, toasters are powered by infrared radiation, which is less selective than microwave radiation, and doesn't specifically target certain components in your food.
Microwaving Quick Breads
Some quick breads, such as muffins, coffee cakes, corn breads, and biscuits microwave beautifully. Popovers and cream puffs do not microwave well because of the lack of dry heat needed for crust formation.
You can wrap old bread in a wet towel or just brush it with a bit of water and bake it again. Works best with buns or bread which havent been cut before.
To guard against dried-out microwave fare, I place a small glass filled with 2 or 3 ounces of tap water in the microwave before firing it up.
A microwave does a good job of replicating the bread box, keeping air out and maintaining a constant temperature and humidity level.
To soften a stale loaf of bread, you need to heat it so that the starches will reabsorb the water. The thing to know is that this reabsorption starts to happen at about 131 F and continues up to around 185 F. The point is, that you need a relatively low temperature to do it properly.