Recapturing Dried Out Bread
Our frugal forbearers would never have tossed out a loaf just because it was hard as a rock. (I’m not talking about moldy bread, just slices that’ve become a little too chewy.)
Sure, it’s easy to throw stale bread into the trash or feed it to the birds. But in a salute to cooks of old, let’s be more creative.
Stale Memories
My mother used stale bread chunks in a dish she simply called stewed tomatoes. The main ingredients were tomatoes (fresh or canned) and bread. I didn’t hang out in the kitchen much as a kid, but I vaguely recall her including onions, garlic, green peppers, and a bit of sugar. (This recipe comes as near to what she made as I can remember.)
Below are seven other delicious uses for stale bread:
Bread Pudding
Cube up stale bread and use it to make a bread pudding of milk, eggs, sugar, and spices. Serve with rum sauce, ice cream, or fruit.
French Toast
French Toast made from stale bread holds up better when soaked in an egg mixture, that includes milk and a pinch of cinnamon. Just cook in skillet till golden and crispy.
Croutons
Perk up a salad with cubed bread tossed in a little olive oil and your favorite spices before baking awhile in the oven. Good as soup topper, too. (My granddaughter, Harper, above, learns the technique.)
Bread Crumbs
Put stale bread chunks into food processor and pulse till the crumbs are desired size. Freeze or store in airtight contain. Use to coat fish or chicken before baking or sprinkle atop a casserole.
Panzanella
Panzanella salad with radishes, asparagus, arugula from Clover and the Bee
Another way to make this classic Italian salad is to tear bread into pieces and mix with diced tomatoes, sliced red onions, and basil leaves. Dress with a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar and pinch oil salt.
Garlic Bread
Robin cuts and slathers this stale loaf with butter, garlic, and a sprinkle of Parmesan before baking.
Pan Con Tomate
The appetizer has five ingredients: rustic bread (such as ciabatta), tomato, olive oil, garlic, and Maldon sea salt.
Stuffing
Stuffing the Thanksgiving birds. Stale bread is perfect here because it holds up well when mixed with other ingredients. Mix chunks with sautéed sausage, celery and onions. Add broth.
