How to waste less bread
We highlight a commonly binned ingredient and share tips on how go get the most out of it.
For many of us a loaf of bread can always be found in the kitchen, but quite often those last few pieces can end up going stale, especially if you're only a one- or two-person household. We've rounded up our top tips for revitalising those hardened bits of bread to help you reduce your food waste. From croutons to ice cream, there's a wealth of ways you can use up those last bits of bread.
Here at Good Food we want to continue to champion sustainability in the kitchen which is why we've asked our team for their top tips to reduce food waste. You can also find more food specific guides, just search 'food waste' in the search bar for tips on using up everyday foods like eggs and how to make the most of your vegetables.
10 tips to waste less bread
1. Bread keeps very well, wrapped, in the freezer. Try not to store it in the fridge as this causes it to become stale.
2. Panzanella is a great option for using up leftover stale bread, especially in the summer months, or why not try our recipe for no-churn brown bread ice cream. In the colder months, try using it in bread and butter pudding.
3. If you don’t fancy making a roux, or have run out of sauce, leftover blitzed bread can be used to thicken soups or sauces. Add a little at a time to the liquid, stirring well, until you achieve the desired consistency.
4. You can revive a whole loaf of crusty bread if it has gone stale. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Run the whole loaf under a running tap until wet, then put directly on the oven shelf and bake for 5-7 mins until crusty and soft again. Leave to cool before slicing.
5. Make a pangrattato to top pasta with. Blitz stale bread until fine, then tip into a hot pan with some olive oil. Toast for 2-3 mins until almost golden then stir in 2 grated garlic cloves, and the zest of 1 lemon. Cook for 1-2 mins then season well and top your pasta dish. You can mix in fresh herbs, dried herbs, anchovies, sundried tomatoes or grated hard cheeses. Why not try our orecchiette with cavolo nero, anchovies & pangrattato.
6. Crusty bread, like sourdough, can be wrapped in a clean tea towel or in a cotton bag and stored in a bread bin to keep it fresh.
7. Dry bread out in a low oven until rock hard then blitz to crumbs in a food processor. Store sealed and frozen for up to three months. Use to bind burgers, for example, or for coating chicken.
8. Tear stale bread into 8 large chunks and nestle beneath chicken while roasting and you’ll have chicken fat croutons. You can scatter these over a roast chicken salad using any leftover meat. We use them in our chicken, green bean & sundried tomato salad with chicken fat croutons recipe.
9. Make a traditional Italian pasta sauce from Liguria – it’s a great way to use up stale bread. Soak the bread in milk, then blitz with walnuts, parmesan and garlic.
10. You can replace pine nuts or seeds with dried breadcrumbs to make a delicious nut-free pesto to toss through pasta.
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