To air fryer or not to air fryer? That’s the question many people face when they want to reheat leftovers or cook frozen food. Not only is the appliance convenient it’s also a more efficient alternative to the oven which can heat up your home and use a lot of energy. While there are some things you shouldn’t put in an air fryer there are plenty of other unexpected things you can throw in an air fryer like baguettes.
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Geoffrey Zakarian Airfryer Oven with Aircrisp Technology on QVC
That may sound outrageous unnecessary or downright impossible especially when you consider that the thin French loaf often resembles a baguette that’s way too big for the appliance’s basket. (There’s even a law in France regarding the length of a baguette.) But frozen baguettes are typically much smaller and can be tricky to re-bake properly. Luckily it’s easy to use an air fryer to get the perfect crispy-on-the-outside soft-on-the-inside bread. All you need is a little water says Food Network host and chef Geoffrey Zakarian.
So the next time you’re reheating a frozen baguette for a gourmet sandwich or fresh bruschetta fire up the air fryer — but don’t just toast the bread. For best results Zakarian recommends placing a small heatproof bowl filled with water (about 4 ounces) and sea salt (½ teaspoon) in the bread (via Food & Wine ). As the baguette cooks the water will turn to steam giving it that irresistible golden-brown crust.
It may seem strange to steam a baguette but it turns out that baking bread—especially baguettes—in a steamy oven is a tried-and-true method that many bakers swear by. The hot steam helps keep the crust moist which slows down the toughening process. This gives the bread more time to fully expand for a fluffier crumb structure and prevents the crust from becoming unpleasantly tough. When the crust does eventually toughen it should be thinner and crispier than if the bread had been baked dry. Plus steam also improves the crust color by caramelizing the sugars on the outside of the bread.
