Can you cook Part Baked Bread in an air fryer

Part baked rolls air fry quicker with less fuss but do keep an eye on proceedings, as the fast cooking time will catch you out.

What's good for oven baking is good for air frying, so of course you can cook part baked bread in an air fryer. Part baked bread varieties will air fry for half the time of oven cooking, while maintaining the oven temperature for air frying. If part baked rolls don't fit in basket, cut baguette in half or use fewer small rolls.

Part baked breads in all their forms - like baguettes and rust wholemeal and white rolls - can all be air fried.

I know that because I have been air frying part baked breads for several months now, with a lot of success. I would go as far to say air frying part baked bread varieties renders far better results than oven baking.

I think that's because of the intensity of the heat inside the air fryer which blows hot air on all sides of the bread.

Oven baking part baked bread is therefore slower and a little less evenly cooked.

Air frying part baked bread like baguettes and smaller oval and rounded rolls will all cook faster in an air fryer - of which it always takes half the time, compared to oven cooking.

You will pop the part baked bread in your air fryer basket for just 5 minutes on most occasions - upside down for 2 minutes - then proceed to cook any part baked bread variety, the correct of the way which is the crust side up.

As usual you will aim to cook until the crust on top is a little golden and therefore crispy throughout.

Air fryers are of course much smaller than your big oven which means there's compatibility issues. As always though, its nothing that can't be quickly resolved by simply cutting a too long part baked baguette in half, for example - whilst air frying fewer small rolls with an option to air fry in batches.

Air fryers can reheat naan breads and all kinds of regular breads in your pantry, so will make easy work of part baked varieties. In addition, fully air fried part baked breads can be returned to the air fryer to reheat later or warm through a fully assembled sandwich of which, the fillings will also need reheating.

Part Baked at half the time

Great thing about air frying any kind of part baked breads, as oppose to oven baking, is that it will absolutely cook faster than oven cooking.

I would go as far to say all part baked bread brands like Hovis will air fry at half the time as set for oven baking. If a part baked baguette is recommended to oven cook for 10 minutes - it will only need as little as 5 minutes in an air fryer.

With little time to turn the crust into a light golden colour, you will air fry all part baked rolls upside down for 2 minutes, before flipping the bread over to air fry the top side - which is the area to concentrate on cooking a light golden crispy crust - for just 3 minutes.

So with 5 minutes to crisp up the crust of part baked breads, don't waste a second by turning over the bread too late.

Cook part baked bread in an air fryer with the exact same temperature suggested for oven baking, then proceed to cut the oven baking time in half for air frying.

How to air fry Part Baked breads

As I've air fried multiple part baked bread varieties over the past several months - and only now explaining how its done - allow me to quickly demonstrate how you would air fry a typical part baked bread roll or baguette.

Preparing any part baked bread would normally involve preheating the air frying, while disposing of the packaging. With the exception of some part baked bread varieties, you would need to lightly dampen the bread surface.

To air fry a typical part baked roll or baguette it would go something like this:

• STEP 1: Position Part Baked bread upside down in a PREHEATED air fryer basket
• STEP 2: Set temperature to 390°F / 200°C; with the time set to 5 minutes

• STEP 3: Air fry Part Baked bread upside down for a full 2 minutes, and not a second over
• STEP 4: Flip each Part Baked bread back on its topside, air fry for 3 minutes. Check on colour of crust frequently until desired crust texture is achieved

NOTE: Quality and texture of part baked breads can be checked by simply pressing the bread with your fingertips, to see if desired crispiness of crust is good enough.

Bread compatibility issues

Once in a while you are going to run into compatibility issues, which means the part baked bread you have in in your possession, doesn't quite fit in your air fryer.

Unfortunately, this will mostly relate to lengthy French baguettes which are up to 11-12 inches in length, and far too long for most air fryers. To be sure the French stick doesn't fit; position diagonally, corner to corner to guarantee a fit or not.

To remedy this issue initially I was able to cook a garlic baguette in my incompatibility basket, by simply cutting the baguette in half. Don't worry about taste and texture, the open ends air fried well with no issues.

Same goes for part baked baguettes, which means if the baguette you wish to air fryer is a little to long for your air fryer, just cut it in half.

If you don't like the crusty ends of a typical French style baguette like many people do, then why not snip off the ends only while maintaining a full length part baked baguette.

When it comes to multiple small rolls which don't fit in your basket, then the solution is to air fry fewer rolls in 2-3 batches. Typical large square air fryer basket will air fry four small rolls, or a single baguette when positioned corner to corner.

Conclusion

Of course you can cook part baked bread in an air fryer, which you can do so with any kind of bread which is labelled as part baked.

All it takes is to follow the oven baking instructions whilst reducing the oven cooking time by half.

If oven cooking time is 10 minutes then you will air fryer for five. You will need to use the oven temperature exactly while only reducing the time for a perfect golden crispy crust.

Results can vary but if you air fry for half the time, you can continue to air fry until your desired golden light and crispy crust has been reached. Check the crisp texture by pressing on the top of the bread to feel and hear for the crispiness.

Preparing to air fry part baked breads like baguettes and oval white and wholemeal rolls will on occasion, involve lightly dampening the surface of the bread with water.

Part baked breads will have compatibility issues once in a while but it isn't anything that can't be fixed, by either cutting a lengthy part baked baguette in half - and of course using fewer small part baked bread rolls.

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