5 Awesome recipes to give fresh new life to Stale Bread!

 

We've all enjoyed the deliciousness of freshly made bread. However, we are aware of how boring it might become after a few days.

Still, having all these dried bits of various varieties of bread in the pantry makes me sad, it seems we are not eating anywhere near as much bread as we are buying, which is a food waste issue that needs to be addressed.

How often do you have to discard bread because it got stale before you could finish consuming it?

I suppose there are no alternative options if it starts to sprout green or white fluffy stuff on it. However, it appears unethical to throw away food that is still edible.

So many people in the world's poorer regions are battling to get enough food to eat each day. Meanwhile, we in the developed world are wasting lots of food that is still edible. It's important to recognize that it's a little arrogant.

But, for obvious reasons, eating on a slice of old bread is probably not the answer. It will only result in you giving up and stopping to bake bread.

No, here you have to be creative. Because of course, there are solutions.

Here are six suggestions of how you can use it up instead of throwing it in the bin:

1. Breadcrumbs

To make breadcrumbs, whizz your stale bread in a food processor (or grate it). These crumbs can then be used in recipes to 'bread' meat, stuff poultry, make burgers and sausages, and thicken stews, soups, and gravies. Breadcrumbs may be used in a variety of ways, but if you don't want to use them right away, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 6 months. That’s even easier than going down to the grocery and buying them. Besides, you know what it contains.

2. Homemade croutons

Croutons prepared at home are simple to make and lovely to eat. Depending on whether you like perfectly cubed croutons or more rustic ones, just cut or chop your stale bread into bits. Then, place the bread pieces in a bowl with some cooking oil, toss to coat the croutons (season to taste at this point if desired), and lay them out on a baking sheet in a 190C oven. Bake for 5 minutes, then stir them about on the sheet for another 5 minutes. Use immediately in a recipe, such as on a soup or Caesar salad, or keep in an airtight jar for a few days.

3. Sweet Bread Pudding

Make use of your leftover bread while satisfying your sweet tooth. Full of brown and white sugar, whipped cream, whole milk, cinnamon, and butter, this bread pudding is basically a baking dish full of warm, sweet, sticky goodness. It takes about 15 minutes to pull together and a little less than an hour to bake.

4. French Toast for Breakfast

French toast for breakfast is much better than ordinary toast. Simply whisk together the eggs, milk, and cinnamon, then dip stale bread into the mixture. Cook the bread on one side on the stove, then turn and cook the other. Serve with honey, maple syrup, or golden syrup and your favorite berries! 

5. Toast it

This is a simple solution that many people seem to be missing. You'd never guess your stale bread was stale in the first place if you toasted it. Just put it in the oven, microwave or toaster, until it’s toasted then add some butter or cheese on top and your preferred toppings.

Tips on Storing Bread

If you plan ahead, you’ll be able to freeze any old bread before it gets rock hard. Bread stored in the freezer tastes freshest within three months, but you can store it for far longer and still enjoy the end product. Bagels, English muffins, and other bread products freeze the same way.