The Easy Way To Save Stale Bread With Your Air Fryer

Primed for a next-level hoagie but find that yesterday's baguette has gone prematurely stale? Never fear because there's a simple way to quickly refresh your stale bread by coating the crust with water and popping it in the air fryer.

The best way to moisten your bread with water is to use a spray bottle. You can buy them inexpensively online, like this pair of 8 ounce glass Cornucopia ones. This technique ensures that a fine mist is evenly distributed over the surface and prevents any soggy spots. Having said that, you can also sprinkle a dash of water over your bread using your fingers, taking care to coat it completely. Alternatively, for a large loaf, douse the whole thing under the faucet and quickly move it in and out of the stream to saturate it without making it so sodden that it breaks apart.

Once dampened with water, your bread is ready to go in your air fryer, preheated to 450 degrees. Leave it until the crust is crunchy and the interior is steamy and soft, which should take about 5-7 minutes. Bear in mind that a slender baguette will warm through faster than an entire sourdough boule, so these timings are approximate depending on the size of your loaf. Plus, a full-sized challah bread that's been drenched with water will take longer to revive than a dainty English muffin that's slightly damp. Simply leave your bread in there longer for a crispier crust.

When you moisten your bread with water, the liquid turns to steam in the heat of the air fryer. This steam rejuvenates the interior crumb of a stale loaf by rehydrating it. Meanwhile the heat circulating around the cavity of the air fryer crisps up the crust beautifully. Unlike a regular convection oven, where the hot air is fairly static and emanates from the top and bottom heating elements, the heat in an air fryer swirls around the cavity, which removes the surface moisture off the exterior of the bread more effectively. The result is a loaf that tastes almost as fresh as the day it was made, with a tender texture and audibly crunchy exterior. Better yet, as your bread thoroughly heats through, it releases a scrumptious, inviting aroma in your kitchen, making your home smell like a Parisian bakery.

If the crust of your bread has started to burn before the water in the interior has had enough time to evaporate, remove your loaf and wrap it in foil before returning it for a final few minutes. This move is also useful for warming flatbread, naans, and pitta that would otherwise crisp up too quickly before their centers are warmed through. If you don't have an air fryer, you can use your oven to reheat dinner rolls and other breads to garner a similar result. However, you may find that your bread isn't as super-crunchy on the outside.