Seven Ways to Rethink and Reuse Stale Bread
As with many food commodities, high demand for bread leads to regular surplus, which results in massive waste. Day‑old bread has been sold cheap or donated to charitable organisations in Western countries for centuries, but better still is drawing on a variety of ways to use up stale bread so it’s no longer viewed as part of a waste stream that needs managing. Here are seven ways to use bread when it’s too old to make into sandwiches.
Breadcrumbs
Method:
Break bread into smallish pieces and spread on oven trays in a single layer.
Toast in an oven at 100°C/212°F until thoroughly dried out (10–15 minutes).
Cool, then crush into small crumbs by rubbing firmly between your hands or running through a food processor.
Store in an air-tight jar in the pantry.
How to revive stale bread
This method of reviving stale bread works best on large pieces with lots of crust. It’s not ideal for sliced bread.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
Run the bread under a cold tap until it’s wet all over but not soaked.
Place it on an oven tray and bake until the crust is crisp (about 10 minutes). Alternatively, warm it in a microwave. Wrap the bread in a clean tea towel (dish towel) and microwave it in 10-second bursts until it’s soft and springy (20–30 seconds).
Panzanella Salad
Kind of like a deconstructed bruschetta, this salad is perfect for a quick summer lunch. It’s great made with stale sourdough. The quantities are very loose, and you can adjust the proportions to your taste.
Method:
Chop some juicy, ripe tomatoes, spring onions or red onion and feta into a bowl.
Tear some stale bread into chunks and add.
Tear some basil or mint leaves, add them to the bowl and mix everything well.
Make a basic vinaigrette with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. The bread will absorb the dressing, so be sure to allow for this. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and mix well.
Set aside for 5–10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld, then serve.
Bread and Butter Pudding
This is a great way to use up stale white bread, raisin toast or hot cross buns.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
6–8 slices stale bread
1 cup milk
¾ cup pouring cream
2 eggs
⅓ cup sugar
2 tbsp melted butter, cooled, plus extra butter for topping
½ cup sultanas (golden raisins)
1 tsp cinnamon
Icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar), for dusting
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Tear the bread into chunks.
Lightly whisk the milk, cream, eggs, sugar and melted butter in a bowl until combined.
Add the bread and sultanas and set aside to soak for 2–3 minutes.
Transfer to a baking dish, top with a few knobs of butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden.
Dust with icing sugar and serve with ice cream.
Parmesan Crackers
These are best made with bread rolls or breadsticks. They’re brilliant for cheese platters.
Method:
Slice the bread into pieces 1–2 cm/⅜–¾ inch thick.
Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil.
Lay the slices flat on a baking tray.
Grill (broil) on medium heat until golden (about 4–5 minutes).
Flip the slices over, sprinkle some parmesan on top of each one and pop them back under the grill.
Grill until the parmesan is bubbly and golden (about 3–4 minutes).
Transfer to a cooling rack. Once cooled, store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Old-school Booze
Rye kvass is a simple fermented drink made with burnt rye bread, which takes on a stout‑like flavour once brewed. It is mildly alcoholic, so enjoy it in moderation.
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients:
⅓–½ loaf stale rye bread
5 cm strip of orange zest
5 cm nub of unpeeled ginger, sliced
2 tsp raw honey
2 mint leaves
3–4 juniper berries
Method:
Slice the bread into thick slices.
Toast in a toaster, under the grill or over flames until well toasted and blackened in parts.
Crumble the toast into pieces and place them in a large jar (it should be half full). I use a jar that holds 1 litre (4 cups). Fill the jar with cold water.
Add the orange zest, ginger, honey, mint and juniper berries. Seal and shake.
Leave the jar to ferment at room temperature for three to five days. Shake and ‘burp’ the jar daily (open it to let the carbon dioxide out, then reseal).
Strain and bottle the kvass. Pop the bottles in the fridge for a couple of days to build up some bubbles, then enjoy.
This is an edited extract from Everyday Permaculture by Anna Matilda, RRP AU$42.99 / NZ$47.99. Published by Hardie Grant Explore. Available in stores nationally and online. Photography by Rochelle Eagle.
