Keep Your Bread Warm For Much Longer (Simple Methods)

There’s nothing nicer than having lovely fresh warm bread straight out of the oven with your evening meal. But what about when the bread is ready, but your dinner guests are late? What can you do to keep your bread warm for longer without having it dry out in the oven?

There are a few different ways that you can keep your bread warm at the table by just using normal staples that you will already have in your pantry and around your home without going out and investing in a food warmer.

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Use Dried Beans

If you happen to have some dried beans in your pantry, this simple and inexpensive trick will help to keep your freshly baked bread warmer at the table.

Grab some dried beans from your pantry.
Wrap the beans in a clean tea towel.
Put the tea towel with the beans in the microwave and heat.
Place the hot, bundled beans, complete with the tea towel, into the bottom of your bread basket.
Put the bread on top of the tea towel, and it should stay warm throughout the entire meal.

Use Some Rice

Along the same vein, you can use uncooked rice to keep your bread warm at the table.

Put a few cups of uncooked rice in a cloth sack. This could be a tea towel, a pillowcase, or even a new sock that has never been worn.
Put the rice in the sack into the microwave for around two to three minutes.
Place the heated rice sack into the bottom of your bread basket and put a cloth napkin on top.
Place the bread on top of the napkin, and it should stay warm for around 20 minutes.

This method also works really well with bread rolls.

Use A Slow Cooker Or Crock Pot

Here is another handy method to keep your bread warm, especially if you’re taking it to a dinner party. For this method, you can start with a cold loaf or even some bread rolls that you’ve made previously and put them into the freezer. You want to thaw out the bread or rolls first, though.

Sprinkle a clean tea towel with some water. You just want to dampen it.
Put the tea towel in the slow cooker or crock pot.
Place your loaf of bread or your bread rolls on top of the tea towel.
Cover the bread with the remainder of the tea towel, or use a second one if it’s not large enough.
Turn your slow cooker onto the low setting and put the lid on.
Leave it on this setting for 30 minutes.
After half an hour, change the setting to warm.

This should keep your bread or bread rolls warm for around 2 hours. If you need the bread to stay warmer for longer, you’ll have to re-dampen the tea towels. Just make sure that the tea towel is only damp and not wet, as you don’t want soggy bread or bread rolls.

Use The Oven And Wrap Your Bread In Foil

You can keep your bread warm in the oven without drying it out by sprinkling the bread with a little water to create some moisture and then wrapping it in aluminum foil.

You can also use this method for keeping bread rolls warm. Place the rolls close together, sprinkle them with a little water and wrap them together in aluminum foil.

How To Reheat Bread The Right Way

If you’ve made your bread the day before or you’ve purchased it from the bakery in the morning to serve with dinner, here’s the correct way to warm the bread:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Wrap the bread completely in aluminum foil
Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes

Wrapping the bread in foil will keep the crust from becoming hard and drying out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep bread warm when toasted?

When you’re making breakfast for a crowd but your toaster only toasts two slices at a time, you can keep the toast warm and crisp by placing it in the oven on an oven rack at a low temperature. The rack will ensure good air circulation around the slices of toast. Don’t leave it in the oven for too long because it will become hard.

How do you heat bread without an oven?

Wrap your bread in aluminum foil and place it in a pot on the stovetop. Put the lid on the pot and heat using low heat for around 5 minutes. Test the bread and heat it for a little longer if it’s not warm enough.

How do restaurants keep bread warm?

Many restaurants have a temperature and humidity-controlled warmer that keeps the bread warm until it’s ready to be served.