TL;DR
Do not throw dry bread away too quickly: wet the surface, bake it for 8 to 12 minutes, and it gets crisp outside and better inside.
Ingredients
- Dry bread, baguette, or rolls
- A little water
- Optional: a clean kitchen towel
How to do it
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 350 °F.
- Hold the bread briefly under running water or wet the surface with your hands. It should be damp, not soaked.
- Put it straight on the oven rack or on a tray.
- Bake small rolls for 5 to 8 minutes, baguette or bread pieces for about 8 to 12 minutes.
- Let it steam off for 2 minutes, then eat it while it is warm.
Why it works
Dry bread has mostly lost moisture. The water brings some softness back to the crumb, and the oven heat rebuilds a crisp crust. It is a useful rescue for bread that is stale or tough but not moldy.
Good to know
Moldy bread should be thrown away, even if you only see one spot. Very thin slices will turn more into crostini; that can be useful, but it is a different result. For a whole loaf, cut it into larger pieces first so the heat reaches it faster.