How to Use Bread to Soften Brownies

How to Adjust Baking Brownies for High Altitudes
Written By
Zora Hughes
Zora Hughes
Published: Nov 16, 2013
Updated: Jan 10, 2019
1 minute read
Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

Those hardened brownies you left out overnight without proper storage probably look and feel completely inedible. But these chocolate bricks can usually be revived and restored to their moist and flavorful glory with a simple fix -- sliced bread and an airtight container. Commonly used to soften brown sugar and cookies, this technique works just as well for brownies and other cookie bars and should have your brownies softened within 24 hours or so.

Step 1

Place the hardened brownies in an airtight container. If you have to layer the brownies, add a piece of parchment paper between each layer.

Step 2

Add one or two slices of bread on top of the brownies in the container. If you are using a wide container, add enough slices to cover the brownies completely. Seal the container shut.

Step 3

Leave the brownies at room temperature overnight, or up to a full day. The brownies will extract and soak up the moisture from the sliced bread, making them soft again. If the brownies are not sufficiently soft when you check them, replace the old bread slices with fresh slices and wait another several hours before checking again.

Tips

Keep your softened brownies in the airtight container with a slice of bread so they remain soft. They should stay fresh at room temperature for four or five days. Replace the bread slices as needed.

For long-term storage, wrap the brownie squares individually in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Place the wrapped brownies in a freezer-safe container. Store them in the freezer for four to six months.

Warnings

Brownies that have perishable ingredients such as cream cheese in them should be refrigerated in the airtight container for up to five days.

Photo Credits

Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

Zora Hughes

Based in Los Angeles, Zora Hughes has been writing travel, parenting, cooking and relationship articles since 2010. Her work includes writing city profiles for Groupon. She also writes screenplays and won the S. Randolph Playwriting Award…

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