The New Zealand food industry generates 103,000 tonnes of food waste annually. At Loaf we encourage you to think twice before throwing away bread that’s past its best when there are so many things you can do with it.
So Use Your Loaf and try out some of our favourites:
Go to https://www.loaf.co.nz/recipes for recipe inspiration.
All large loaves will freeze well. Just make sure you defrost them before reheating. Try to avoid freezing small products as they’ll dry out. Our cakes and slices also freeze well so you can stash them away and pull them out when you’ve got a hungry tribe to feed or want to whip up a hassle free dessert.
Keeping bread fresh is a losing battle, from the moment it is done baking it begins to lose it's moisture through a process called starch retro gradation. In the original baking process, the starch began to gelatinise above 60C and absorb moisture. Once absorbed, the starches swell and create the spongy fresh solid texture we associate with bread. As the starches recrystallise over time they lose the moisture that was once locked in the baking process. By simply reheating your bread your starches will re-gelatinise and reinstall the soft texture we have come to associate with "fresh"
The Microwave Method
This method is by far the fastest way to soften your stale bread and has the longest lasting results.
Steps:
The Oven Method
The oven method takes longer to soften the bread than the microwave method but works just as well.
Steps:
If your bread is really dry, dab a couple drops of water along the length of the bread loaf with your fingers. This will help to reincorporate moisture into your loaf beyond just reheating and softening. If you decide to add water, make sure that you don't over saturate your bread loaf otherwise you'll end up with mushy bread. Start small, you can always add more.
The Celery Method
The celery method is preferential for remoistening bags of sliced bread; however, it takes a little bit of foresight since you'll be letting it reabsorb moisture overnight.
Steps:
Your Loaf is best stored in a cool, dark place in a sealed bag or container.
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