Pas Yisroel - Purchased Bread

ANSWER: Yes. Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 112:12) writes that if a non-Jew baked bread, it can become Pas Yisroel if a Jew improves the bread by placing the bread in the oven and continuing the baking process. This is effective only if the improvement is the result of additional baking. For example, if bread had a light color and a thin crust, and re-baking the bread will make it darker and give it a thicker crust, this improvement will render the bread Pas Yisroel. Similarly, Rabbi Belsky zt”l held that if a Jew toasts bread or bagels to enhance their taste, they become Pas Yisroel. This is also the position of Rav Sternbuch (Teshuvos V’hanhagos 1:444).

However, Sefer Issur V’heter Ha’Aruch (43:11) writes that merely warming up cold bread does not turn it into Pas Yisroel. Even though this will make the bread taste better, it does not make it Pas Yisroel, since there was no discernible change in the degree of baking.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.