Whether you bake your own or buy your bread, you can get a lot of use out of it even after it goes stale (we are talking about stale and not mouldy – don’t eat it if its mouldy). We’ve talked about the best way to store your favorite foods and we’ve offered up a few clever ways you can try reviving stale bread. But there are also some great ways to put that staleness to use.
Step One
Croissant French Toast. This is a special, decadent breakfast not meant for everyday (who has day-old croissants around everyday, anyway?), but on occasion, it’s heavenly. The croissants develop almost unbelievably crisp edges when they’re dipped in egg and milk and then fried in butter. A little mascarpone on top is optional, but highly recommended.
Step Two
Gluten Free Kabocha Squash Stuffing. The best stuffings are made with stale bread—but once it’s been soaked in stock and baked up with all sorts of other goodies (soft, sweet kabocha squash stars here), will you even recognise it? Why not go gluten free this year?
Step Three
Rum Glazed Coconut Bread Pudding. This is a traditional bread pudding (if the traditional bread pudding was on a tropical vacation, that is). Coconut, raisins, brown sugar, and rum come together to create a truly sweet dessert. The recipe would probably work just well with a variety of other breads, so don’t be afraid to try it with whatever you may have on hand.
Step Four
Ribollita. Ribollita, Italian for “reboiled,” is a classic Tuscan rustic vegetable soup thickened with stale bread. It’s cheap, with cannellini beans serving as the main protein source, and easy enough to whip up on a weeknight.
Step Five
Aromatic Poached Salmon with Rye and Caper Breadcrumbs. As showy as whole-poached salmon can be, the breadcrumbs are the real star of the meal. They’re intensely crunchy, punchy and flavourful against the lemony, gin-spiked salmon.
Step Six
Roasted Garlic Soup with Olive Croutons. This soup is extremely flavourful and complex despite its relative simplicity. The crème fraîche adds a great creaminess and the poached egg contributes both heft and richness. If you don’t have olive bread, any day-old bread will do.