Briefly, there are four ways to reheat garlic bread: in the oven, in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in an air fryer. Each method requires wrapping the bread in foil and heating it for a few minutes.
There aren’t many people in this world who don’t like crispy garlic bread, or so I think.
That easy-to-make, and yet so delicious meal becomes a major player of every table when served. You can almost serve it on its own together with a good drink, and no one will be too disappointed.
That’s why it’s surprising when you have homemade garlic bread leftovers, but it happens. If you made more bread than the number of guests at a party, you certainly have a lot of leftovers, and it’s a shame to throw it away. Save it for a few days or freeze garlic bread for more extended storage.
Since no one is precisely crazy about cold garlic bread, here are the best methods how to reheat it. Your reheated garlic bread should be quite close to the freshly made one.
Reheating Garlic Bread In The Oven
The oven is, without a doubt, the best way to reheat garlic bread. After you heat it up with this method, almost no one will notice that it is an older bread, and not some freshly baked. So if you can, take some time and let the oven do the work.
Step 1: Preheat the Oven to 350 °F
It will be best to set the temperature to medium-strong. Turn the oven to 350 degrees and let it heat up thoroughly. This heating power will be ideal for creating the fine texture your bread had in the beginning.
Step 2: Wrap the Bread in Aluminum Foil
The next necessary step you need to take is to wrap the garlic bread in aluminum foil. It doesn’t matter if you’re reheating a whole loaf or slices of bread. So wrap the bread, then put it on a baking sheet or directly on the oven rack.
Step 3: Bake the Bread for about 10 to 15 Minutes
Depending on how big the loaf is, bake it between 10 and 15 minutes. Shorter if it’s a smaller piece of bread in question, and longer if you have a thicker whole loaf.
You can then take the bread out of the oven and make sure it is warm enough. If not, return it for an additional two to three minutes. After that, take the bread out of the foil and serve with the rest of the food.
Heating Garlic Bread In The Microwave
If you only have a few slices of garlic bread and want to reheat them quickly, you can opt for a microwave. It makes no sense to turn on the oven for two slices.
However, keep in mind that bread heated in the microwave should be consumed immediately. As it cools, it will become harder and harder, so it will no longer be tempting.
Step 1: Place the Garlic Bread Slices on the Plate
Use only a microwave safe plate. Put slices of garlic bread on it so that each one is separate. If you have more pieces, prefer to heat them in several rounds instead of putting them on top of each other.
Step 2: Nuke the Bread for No Longer Than 10 Seconds
Now comes the tricky part. Garlic bread in the microwave should not be heated for more than 10 seconds. It will be enough to warm it up to be delicious.
Every second longer than that makes your favorite bread at the risk of being hard as a rock. So resist the temptation and set the microwave only for 10 seconds.
How To reheat Garlic Bread On A Stovetop
If you want to heat the leftover garlic bread to be a little crunchy, then you can opt for heating in a skillet. This is also an acceptable option if you have a few slices, and you don’t want to turn on an oven for them.
Immediately note that you can only heat sliced bread this way, not the whole loaf.
Step 1: Wrap Slices of Bread in Foil
Wrap each slice of bread separately in aluminum foil. This is necessary for the heat to be evenly distributed and the bread to be heated nicely. Besides, this way, you don’t need the addition of oil and don’t fry the bread actually but reheat it.
Step 2: Put the Bread in the Skillet and Cover
Place the wrapped garlic bread in the frying pan and arrange them nicely so that each is at the bottom. Do not put one slice on top of another. After that, cover the pan with a lid.
Step 3: Heat for about 5 Minutes
Turn on the stove to a really low heat. You want to slowly and surely heat the bread to make it delicious. Do not turn on the furnace at high temperature as the process will not work well.
Over low heat, heat the bread for 5 minutes. Take the bread out and unroll the foil and make sure it is warm enough. If not, you can return it for a few more minutes of heating.
Warming Garlic Bread In An Air Fryer
An air fryer is a reliable method of heating soft garlic bread that gives great results and a crispy crust.
However, be careful not to overdo the heating time because the hot air could quickly turn the crust into hard rock and burn the bread. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Preheat the Air Fryer to 350 °F
As with a classic oven, the ideal temperature will be a medium heat of 350 degrees. Let the air fryer heat up completely before putting the bread in it.
During this time, you can set the leftover bread in a basket.
Step 2: Arrange the Bread in a Fryer Basket
You can heat whole bread or slices in the air fryer. It is important that it fits nicely in the basket without touching the heating elements.
So if you have a slightly longer garlic bread, be sure to cut it in half. Just don’t pile on too much bread at once, or you won’t get a nice result.
When you put the leftover bread in the basket, your work is almost done. No additional preparation is necessary, but if you have bread that has been standing for several days and has a more rigid crust, you can lightly coat it with a bit of water so that it softens during heating.
Step 3: Cook for 2 to 3 Minutes
The duration cycle will actually be very short. It will be best to turn on the appliance for 2 minutes, check the result, and determine if an additional minute or two is needed.
As we said, be careful not to burn your bread because that could happen pretty quickly. When everything is piping hot, remove it from the air fryer and serve as soon as possible.
FAQs
Conclusion
The best way to reheat leftover garlic bread is to use an oven for it. Without competition, this is the best method that will give the most delicious results. But if you don’t have too much time or have just a few slices of bread, you can choose an air fryer, a microwave or stove as a backup option.
Although many say thawing is not necessary, if you have frozen garlic bread, we suggest that you fully defrost it first. That way, the texture should be better and tastier. You can reheat frozen garlic bread in all the same methods as described above.
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