Woke up craving that sourdough crunch but my bread was hard as a rock in the fridge. No way I’m waiting 20 minutes for the oven. Grabbed my sad loaf and just started trying stuff out.
What Actually Worked Fast
First thing: Pulled out the toaster oven. Tossed a slice in there at 200°C. Two minutes later – crisp crust, fluffy inside. Hot. Damn. Felt smug.
Pan method: Dug out my heaviest steel pan. No oil. Medium heat. Dropped the bread straight onto the hot metal. Pressed it down with a spatula like I was mad at it. Sixty seconds per side. Smelled like heaven. Crust crackled like it just came out of the Dutch oven.
What Barely Works
- Regular Toaster: Disaster. Crumbs everywhere. Uneven heating – edges charcoal, middle still cold. Sourdough too tall. Had to jam it down with a fork. Felt like a caveman.
- Microwave: Tried 30 seconds. Came out weirdly tough? Like chewing on cardboard. No crunch at all. Sad.
Quick Egg Test: Fried an egg while heating the bread. Slapped that hot egg on the hot bread straight from the pan. Runny yolk soaked into the crust. Perfect combo. Hands were messy. Zero regrets.
Real Talk
Toaster oven wins. Period. Faster than ordering coffee. Pan method’s legit too – especially if you like playin’ with fire. Microwaves and sourdough should never meet. Trust me.
