What to Do With Stale Bread: 7 Tasty Uses for Leftover Bread

Everyone hates to waste food and bread is one of the those ingredients that can easily go stale. So what can you do with stale bread? With just a little creativity you can whip up amazing dishes that not only taste great but actually benefit from using stale bread as an ingredient.

Leftover or stale bread can be used in everything from breakfast and brunch to dinner and dessert. Let's take a look at some popular recipes using leftover bread:

What To Do With Stale Bread: 7 Tasty Ideas

Bread Pudding with Stale bread

Breathe new life into stale bread by using it as the base for a rich and creamy bread pudding. Stale bread absorbs the custard base much better than fresh bread which results in a scrumptious dessert everyone will love. Try this version with fresh raspberries and cream.

French toast with stale bread

Are you using fresh bread for French toast? Stop that now! Day-old bread, preferably one that has been left outside of its plastic bag, will yield French toast with better texture. Give this recipe a try.

Panzanella Salad with salad bread

Have leftover baguette or an Italian loaf? Don’t toss it! Instead, cube it and toss it with cucumber, tomatoes, mozzarella and plenty of olive oil to make this enticing Mediterranean salad.

Stale bread Brunch Casserole

Forget mastering quiche! Use stale bread to make a brunch casserole that’ll taste just as good. You can add whatever veggies you like - broccoli, spinach, peppers, etc. - and combine cubed bread with cheese and whipped eggs. Bake and let the oven do the work. Try this satisfying sausage casserole from Simply Recipes.

To Thicken Soups

Did you know stale bread makes an excellent thickener for soups? Cold soups like this Spanish ajo blanco is just one of the many recipes that call for leftover bread. You could also cubes of stale bread to gazpacho before pureeing or hot soups like Tuscan ribollita.

Croutons with leftover bread

This is a classic use for leftover bread. Cube the bread and toss it with a bit of oil, salt and pepper. Spread it on a sheet pan and bake it at 350 until golden (about 10-15 minutes). Transfer to a cooling rack and once cool you’ll end up with a crispy bite perfect for salads and soups.

Breadcrumbs

Perhaps the most obvious use for stale bread, breadcrumbs often fly under the radar. Why spend money on buying the prepackaged kind when you can make your own? For best results, cube the bread and bake as if making croutons. Then let cool and pulverize in the food processor.