The Clever Way Geoffrey Zakarian Uses His Air Fryer To Heat Up Bread

Every chef has those secret or not-so-secret shortcuts or tricks to make life easier and celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian is no different. Zakarian has an air fryer hack you will want to try the next time you need to heat up some bread. The co-host of "The Kitchen" told Food & Wine that when he needs to bake mini frozen French baguettes, he turns to his air fryer. 

Zakarian explained, "Because of the small space, I can get a great result in a short amount of time. A tip is to fill a small heat-proof vessel with about four ounces of water and half a teaspoon of sea salt and place it in the air fryer with the bread. The steam releases and gives the baguettes a delightful crust." That steam is an essential element in creating a moisture-rich environment to achieve a crunchy exterior. This is a common technique when making bread because moisture helps the yeast to work its magic and in turn, the crust doesn't split, producing great crusty baguettes.

The crispier you want your baguette the longer you can air fry it, but 12 minutes is a good starting point to help you get that crunchy texture. Still, you are going to want to check on it a couple of times to make certain it doesn't burn. Additionally, if you use this hack, you want to be sure that the mini baguettes do not overlap, and that there is space in between each mini loaf so the air can circulate properly. 

If you are still asking why the air fryer is a better choice than an oven or toaster oven, Geoffrey Zakarian further explained that using this small appliance is a little greener than turning on the oven. He said, "Air fryers are useful when warming up straight-from-the-freezer foods and skipping the thawing process in a pinch. Since it's small, it's more efficient and doesn't waste gas or a large amount of energy that happens when turning on a full-sized oven." So the next time you are making a frozen baguette, some easy garlic bread, or a loaf of French bread, consider using your air fryer.