system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why does stale bread get softer when you warm it up? Shouldn't the heat evaporate whatever water is left and make it harder?
gpt
Bread doesn't go stale because it dries out, it goes stale because the starches crystallize. If you weighed fresh vs. stale bread, you'd find the stale bread retains most of it's original weight, meaning it retains most of it's water. Weighing fresh or stale vs. dry would show a significant difference in weight, but dry bread isn't stale, and is delicious drenched in oil and spices!