The Simple Trick That Dunkin' Employees Use To Revive Stale Bagels

There is nothing quite as disappointing, or hard on your teeth, as a stale bagel. Unfortunately, fresh bagels tend to go bad within a day, especially if they're not stored properly. But thanks to some clever Dunkin' employees, we now have a nifty trick to bring a little life back into your bagels. All you need is a wet paper towel and a microwave.

First, soak a paper towel in water and wring out the excess moisture. Then, wrap your bagel in the damp paper towel and place the bagel, with the towel still snugly fit around it, into the microwave for 30 seconds. This will help infuse a little bit of the moisture that evaporated from your bagel and caused it to become as hard as rock. A rehydrated bagel might not be as good as one straight from the oven, but it is a mighty fine consolation prize.

The perfect bagel has a crispy outer shell that houses a chewy core and serves as the ideal base for your breakfast – whether it's eggs and bacon, cream cheese and lox, or sliced strawberries and peanut butter. However, bagels tend to stale faster than other types of bread due to the dough's low moisture. And for chain restaurants like Dunkin', it can be hard to keep bagels fresh beyond their day spent sitting on the shelves. That's why Dunkin' employees are instructed to throw out their leftover donuts and bagels at the end of the day. Food waste is a huge problem in America, with the USDA estimating between 30 to 40% of the food supply being wasted. While this is a bigger problem than individual consumers or food chains, there are little things we can do to reduce food waste.

So there's no need to avoid the bagels at Dunkin' due to the time of day, the microwave and damp towel trick is your best friend. Of course, the whole convenience of a Dunkin' breakfast is having filling food on the go, so you might not have time or access to a microwave. If this is the case, see if the employees at your local Dunkin' will do it for you. Did you buy a bunch of bagels with no add-ons for an event? Consider throwing uneaten ones in the freezer. This is a great way to extend their freshness by months.