Sometimes we buy a baguette, brioche, or ciabatta loaf, and for one reason or another, it doesn't get finished. Rather than toss it in the compost bin, I give the stale bread new life!
Here are a few ideas of things you can do with stale bread:
• Fondue - stale bread is great for sopping up hot, gooey cheese, and the liquids in the fondue will soften the bread.
• French Onion Soup - a slice of stale bread is perfect for soaking up the beefy, oniony soup and holding up the cheese.
• Pappa al Pomodoro - a delicious Tuscan bread soup with mussels and tomatoes.
• Bread Pudding - behind that link is a nice roundup of various bread puddings, from sweet to savory.
• Panade - a rustic casserole made with stale bread and leftover vegetables.
• Ribollita - the quintessential Tuscan winter soup made from bread and hearty vegetables.
• Bread Crumbs - DIY bread crumbs are super easy to make. Use this in meatballs!
• French Toast - such an easy breakfast to make!
• Fattoush - a Middle Eastern salad made with stale pita bread and fresh vegetables.
• Panzanella - an Italian bread salad with mozzarella and fresh vegetables.
Related:
Waste Not: 5 Ways to Use Leftover Bread
Five Things To Do With Leftover Bagels
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Oh, I never, ever throw out stale, hard as a rock bread. It goes into a freezer bag and will always get used for panzanella, bread crumbs, gazpacho, etc.
My favorite use is for breadcrumbs and tomato soup. :)
I made some chocolate bread pudding awhile back, from this recipe and some stale Tuscany bread (delicious!). I should really make some more and write it up on my blog!
Can you really use those hard as a rock loaves? Please share how I could use it without severing a finger trying to shatter it into bite size pieces. I am so disappointed that when I buy a 95 cent loaf in the Caribbean (humidity) the bread stays fresh for days, not that it needs to, but when I buy a $3.49 loaf from Balthazar here is like a rock within 24 hours, even with our lovely hazy hot and humid weather.
Marid, I make my bread crumbs in a food processor.
I love utilizing stale bread, but would love to know how you soften the bread enough to cut it. I usually stick it in the microwave for a bit to try to make it just a little easier to slice, but perhaps someone out there has a better tip?
I also nuke it for a few seconds to soften it up just enough to allow for easy handling.
my favorite foods are all made with stale bread! especially strata:
http://theactorsdiet.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/lynn-date-night/
The people who wonder about the rock hard bread--that's the beauty of panzanella--the ingredients soak into the bread and soften it.
Ditto for just adding hunks to soup (with cheese) a la "French Onion Soup"
But...there is nothing wrong with tossing it into the compost. It's a perfectly fine part of compost making.
I blitz hard bread into bread crumbs and use it to make a crunchy topping for casseroles or vegetable dishes: by frying in a bit of olive oil with some garlic. Or if I have mounds and mounds, make the classic vegetarian nut bake. Or use it for stuffing (here's a good one made in a slow cooker).
Quite often I freeze the bread in slices or hunks. My food processor can turn it into bread crumbs after it's only been out of the freezer for about ten minutes.
i agree, put the loaf in the microwave for a few seconds to make it easier to cut. then i use it for panzanella, strata, or french toast. or sometimes, i leave it on the counter and my dog jumps up and eats it.
Panzanella is a great idea. You could also do spanish or portuguese migas - crumb or finely chop the bread and fry it in extra virgin olive oil with thinkd like garlic, parsley, kale and chorizo. My favourite is this, although I don't put cod in mine:
http://portuguese-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/portuguese_soup_recipe_bread_egg_and_garlic
We don't have a microwave. To soften rock-hard bread I always pass it quickly under a running faucet and then put it into a hot oven or toaster over for a few minutes.
To keep bread soft, or make it soft after going hard, I wrap it in waxed paper and then in a moist linen and leave it in a cool dark place over night. Mind you, I live in a place that is very nearly a desert with very little humidity. But that seems to work here without ruining the quality of the bread.
thumbs up for portuguese migas or açorda.
I read an article once where they suggested putting the bread slices in a muffin pan, to create little crusty toast cup thingies. But that's probably only viable with sliced bread. Still I thought it cute.
We make lots of bread pudding for either breakfast or dessert. Last one made was this Monday! Blueberry and Peach Bread Pudding - super good for the summer and you can sub in cherries or whatever fruit is in season.>Blueberry and Peach - can use just about any fresh fruit in this. I'm psyched to try cherries!
Ah, made my favorite chocolate bread pudding and posted about it. I think I'm gonna have to try a savory bread pudding next!
I didn't see anyone mention stuffing! We pick up whole chickens from the farmers market and stuff w/a homemade stuffing: bread cubes, stock, dried cranberries, carrots, onions and herbs. Make the rest on the stove to use as a side.
great post! I just made the most fantastic panzanella with a leftover italian loaf and veggies from my garden! http://husbandwhocooks.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/homegrown-panzanella/