Q: I made these Vegetable Dumplings last night, and I'm wondering if you have any tips for using all of the leftover bread crusts from this recipe. It is such a lot of wonderful crust to go to waste.
Bread crumbs maybe? Are there other recipes that utilize the crusts but not the insides of a loaf of bread?
Sent by Elise
Editor: Elise, yes, we would recommend making bread crumbs! Just let the bread dry out (you can use the oven, set at about 200°F) and then run it through a chopper or food processor. Here are a couple sets of instructions on how to make bread crumbs:
• How To Make Dried Bread Crumbs
• How To Make Fresh Bread Crumbs
Making fresh breadcrumbs, where you grind the bread into crumbs without toasting it or drying it out, does require a powerful food processor. Our little chopper doesn't appreciate this task very much unless the bread is super dry and crumbly.
And then you can use those bread crumbs for anything — breading, topping casseroles, or one of these recipes:
• Tomato and Boquerones Salad with Garlicky Breadcrumbs
• Farfalle with Cauliflower and Toasted Breadcrumbs
If you don't have time to make bread crumbs right away, you can also freeze the crusts and make them later.
Readers, any other tips for leftover bread crusts?
Related: Waste Not: 5 Ways to Use Leftover Bread
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I bet they'd work fine for bread pudding! I've been meaning to try savory bread pudding as a side dish....mmmm.
I second bread pudding. If you have freezer space, put them in a baggie in there until you are ready to cooka bread pudding. I keep stale bagles, heels of bread etc that way and then when I have enough make a yummy dessert.
Bread salad. One of my favorites.
An apple betty! It's basically just a crisp-type dessert topped with breadcrumbs instead of oats, etc. Though I'd probably go for bread pudding even more.
@KPickett: speaking of which, Deborah Madison has some nice savory bread pudding recipes. I like one with mushrooms and asparagus, but the one with corn and cilantro and cheese is probably my favorite.
I freeze them until I need bread crumbs and then use them.
You can also add them to scrambled eggs.
What's bread salad?
Thanks for posting my question and for all the great tips! I think I'll go with breadcrumbs this time, since they were on my shopping list anyway. And now I'm craving bread pudding, too!
I must also note I'm a little embarrassed by the "such a lot of" phrase...pardon my silly (lack of) grammar!
You could absolutely make creme brulee french toast with crusts!
You can crisp them in a little olive oil in a frying pan......use as croutons on salad or as crackers with soup.
I freeze them and use them for croutons, bread crumbs-basically, anything that calls for bits and pieces of bread.
brush with olive oil and broil in oven until golden brown. let cool and rub with as much raw garlic as you like. use as croutons or toss on top of soup. delicious. (adapted from zuni cookbook.)
Um, kind of a silly question really. Put the crusts in the dumplings in the first place for goodness sakes.
If its Tuscan style bread (salt less) and is best for a Tuscan bread salad in the summer. Tuscan bread does not get soggy.
simple and delicious-
Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
9 cups day-old country bread, torn into large pieces
2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, large dice
1/2 cup thinly sliced Tropea (red torpedo) onions (or a sweet onion such as Maui or Vidalia)
2 medium English hothouse cucumbers, halved lengthwise and cut into large dice
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves, torn into large pieces
Also this savory bread pudding is so good, great go to party dish-
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/health/nutrition/08recipehealth.html?_r=3
The tip about freezing the crusts is the way to go. I always have a bag of mixed bread crusts and heels going in the freezer. They can be zipped through the food processor from frozen into crumbs.
And heck yeah to bread pudding - a savory one with Gruyère maybe, fresh herbs and pine nuts?
My favorite use of old bread is in pappa al pomodoro - the crusts will soak up the tomato broth and dissolve. Crusts might actually be better than regular bread.
http://lancelotsturgeon.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/pappa-al-pomodoro/
I'm with Bushidoka! Put 'em in the bread dumplings!
I rarely cut off the crusts for recipes originally devised to use up leftover bread (bread pudding, strata/savory bread pudding, panzanella, ribollita, bread dumplings, etc.) even though so many instruct you to trim and discard the crusts. I find that it hardly ever makes a difference to keep them on.
Summer pudding and charlottes might be the only exceptions that come to mind.