How to Heat Bread in the Oven

To reheat bread, wrap it in aluminum foil and heat it for 10 to 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. To reheat breadsticks, spray them with olive oil before placing them in the oven on a baking dish.

In an interview with LIVESTRONG.com, Gabby Geerts, RD at Green Chef , shared tips on how to warm bread in the oven. "The first step is to preheat the oven to 350 degrees, because a higher temperature will burn the bread very quickly," she advises. Next, wrap the bread in aluminum foil to prevent the crust from burning. Place it on the middle oven rack, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and serve.

Read more: 10 Ingredients to Always Avoid in Bread (Plus, 7 Bread Brands That Are Your Best Bets!)

"To reheat breadsticks, the process varies slightly," states Geerts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the breadsticks with olive oil, and then place them on an oven-safe baking dish. Warm them in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove and serve immediately.

Geerts offers an innovative tip for keeping bread warm. "Place uncooked rice into a sack, kitchen towel or a clean sock. Microwave until it's warm to touch, about 2 to 3 minutes. Place under some cloth napkins in a serving basket and place the rolls on top," she notes. The rice will keep the bread warm for approximately 20 minutes.

To reheat frozen baguettes, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. "Place bread in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until soft and thawed," Geerts says.

LIVESTRONG.com also interviewed Kac Young, Ph.D., ND, Chef at Heart Easy and author of the cookbook Heart Easy, The Food Lover's Guide to Heart-Healthy Eating. She relates how she discovered the secret of enjoying steaming hot bread.

Young notes that for three decades, she frequented a restaurant in Studio City, California, called Stanley's. "They were famous for their hot sourdough bread, and, although you never wanted to admit it, sometimes the choice for lunch would revolve around how good and hot their bread was," she says. Young estimates that she must have eaten there more than 200 times.

"One day, I hounded the waitress for info about how and why their bread had such a delicious, thick crust while it remained soft and spongy inside. She didn't part with the information easily, but after a while she said, 'The secret is taking the sourdough boule and putting it in the oven for 1.25 hours at 250 degrees. The temperature cooks the outside crust while gently heating the inside,'" recounts Young.

When the restaurant's wait staff would cut the bread, steam would be released, and it arrived at the table piping hot. "It broke apart like a cloud," remembers Young.

Read more: How to Use an Oven to Make Bread Rise

Just as the method used to warm bread in the oven can make a difference, so can the manner in which it's stored affect quality. According to Oregon State University (OSU), you can store bread at room temperature for only 2 to 4 days.

Storing bread in the refrigerator can be both helpful and harmful. Refrigeration prevents bread from developing mold for longer, but it also causes it to get stale more quickly. Bread will stay good in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 weeks.

To preserve the quality of baked goods, freeze the amount you don't expect to consume right away. Store it in a vapor- and moisture-proof wrap. Baked bread will keep in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

Bread and other baked goods may be safely eaten for a reasonable time after the "sell by" date. The date merely lets the supermarket know how long to keep it available for purchase, notes OSU. On the other hand, avoid eating bread and other foods after the expiration date.