Fresh rolls are a fleeting miracle. They come out of the oven like golden, puffy toddlers—happy and warm. Then, the air steals their soul.
Stale bread is a tragedy of science. It’s not about drying out, really. It’s about starch molecules re-crystallizing. Yes, your roll turns into a tiny, sad crystal.
This process is called retrogradation. Say that five times fast. It’s the villain in our dinner roll saga.
