Helpful Hints from joeeze: What's the best way to defrost bread?

Maria Asenjo of Birmingham, Alabama asked this question of Cook's Illustrated, whose crack research team did what they do ever so well to come up with the answer; the exchange, which appears in the July/August 2009 issue, follows.

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Defrosting Sandwich Bread

Q. I often freeze sandwich bread to prevent it from going stale. What is the best way to defrost the bread? My mother tells me I should zap it in the microwave, but my grandmother says it's best to leave it out at room temperature. Who is right?

A. We thought that removing slices of bread from the freezer and letting them thaw at room temperature would be the best approach, but our assumption was wrong. After having a conversation with our science editor and performing a few experiments, we realized that by leaving the bread at room temperature, we would be submitting it to an environment that would actually stale it.

As frozen bread warms, its starch molecules begin to form crystalline regions, which absorb the water in bread. The process, called retrogradation, will eventually produce a dry, stale texture. The best way to thaw frozen bread is to place the slices on a plate (uncovered) and microwave them on high power for 15 to 25 seconds. This will get the starch and water molecules to break down the crystalline regions, producing soft, ready-to-eat bread.