Relating this discussion to my food-preservationist wife she offers her
opinions on every facet. Living in palm desert she says it doesn't
make any difference what you do with bread it dries out be the time you
finish eating your sandwich. Other physics screw you in the humidity
of Costa Rica.

"The way" of bread is to buy it fresh and eat it, citing the way folks
make a daily run for tortillas in Mexico, French bread in France or
Vietnam and sangak or barbari in Iran (or in Irvine/Yorba Linda!).

Her point is well made: There is fresh bread and then there is everything else.