Baguettes are wonderufl thin loaves of French Bread.  Unfortunately, they are not baked to last.  They are best when eaten the same day they are baked, but there are times when they don’t get eaten and alas, they tend to dry out.  This happened to the last loaf I bought.  We never got around to using it and within 2 days it was completely hard and impossible to eat in this state.

Listed below are instructions for Baguette Recovery:

• Take the Baguette and put it under running cold water until it starts to soften.  The top portion will not soften very much but the bottom portion will.   When it has abosrbed enough moisture you will be able to push the bottom, but be careful!  You do not want to punch a hole in it.
• Place the softened bread in a preheated 350 degree oven directly on the rack for about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and slice on the diagonal into half inch slices;  place on a pan and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
• Voila!  The Baguette will be edible!  Serve with butter or olive oil or rub each slice with a cut garlic clove and some olive oil and a little sea salt or Parmesan Cheese.

So, do not throw out your next loaf of stale bread.  Try this recovery method first!