There's no need to bin your shop-bought baguette or freshly baked loaf when it starts to get slightly stale. There are plenty of ways to put it to good use instead, from breadcrumbs to croutons, and stuffing to bread and butter pudding.
Not sure what to do with that stale loaf of bread sitting in your bread bin? Don't worry, we're here to inspire!
There's no need to bin your shop-bought baguette or freshly baked loaf when it starts to get slightly stale. There are plenty of ways to put it to good use instead, from breadcrumbs to croutons, and stuffing to bread and butter pudding.
We really do hate waste here at goodtoknow, so we're always looking for weird and wonderful ways to make the most of leftovers. So, if you're about to bin that bread hold your horses and have a look through this collection of 13 inventive ways to use up a stale loaf. We're sure you'll find something to inspire!
Click through to see what you can make with your stale bread...
Breadcrumbs
One of the easiest things to do with your stale bread is to turn it into breadcrumbs. This can be done by hand or quickly done by food processor. Once you've made your breadcrumbs you can use it to coat fish, to make crumble mix or sprinkle on top of your pasta bake before baking.
More breadcrumb recipes:
Bread and butter pudding
We just love bread and butter pudding, don't you? It's a classic that we would happily rustle up time and time again to enjoy straight after our Sunday roast. The best kind of bread to use in this pudding is the stale kind, as it's firm and won't get soggy when cooked!
How to make classic bread and butter pudding
More bread and butter pudding recipes:
- Get the recipe: Chocolate bread and butter pudding
- Get the recipe: Peanut bread and butter pudding
- Get the recipe: Sausage bread and butter pudding
Garlic bread
So, you bought a baguette at the weekend, it's now Tuesday and the baguette is looking a little sorry for itself - don't bin it! Turn it into garlic bread instead. The garlic butter, along with re-heating your bread in the oven, will make it soft again.
More garlic bread recipes:
- Get the recipe: Garlic bread melts
- Get the recipe: Cheese and chilli bread
- Get the recipe: Scrambled egg and crab on garlic bread
Meatballs
Did you know that most meatball recipes use bread in the mix? Just crumble up your stale bread using your fingertips or food processor and mix into your favourite meatball recipe to make them extra dense. They'll also absorb the sauce far better thanks to the bread!
More meatball recipes:
- Get the recipe: Phil Vickery's turkey meatballs
- Get the recipe: Lamb meatballs
- Get the recipe: Pork meatballs with pitta
French toast
French toast is another ingenious way to use up stale bread. It's such a simpe idea that will make your Saturday morning one to remember. Dip your stale bread in a sweet eggy mixture and cook on a frying pan. Drizzle in maple syrup and enjoy!
More French toast recipes:
- Get the recipe: Panettone French toast
- Get the recipe: French toast stuffed with strawberries
- Get the recipe: Cinnamon toast
Stuffing
Make your roast dinner extra special this week by whipping up a hearty side of stuffing. Not only is it a treat come Sunday lunch, it's also a great way of using up a few slices of your stale loaf. Once you've made stuffing from scratch, you'll never look at the readymade packet mix the same way again!
How to make sage and onion stuffing
More stuffing recipes:
- Get the recipe: Fruity turkey stuffing
- Get the recipe: Vegetarian stuffing
- Get the recipe: John Torode's apple and sage stuffing
Nut roast
Vegetarians in the family or fancy trying something new one weekend? Meet the nut roast! Made with, you guessed it, nuts and of course - bread! The nut roast is actually really easy to make and will use up at least one slice of your stale loaf.
More nut roast recipes:
Toasties
You can still make a sarnie out of your stale bread, you just have to be creative about it! Opt for cheese and chutney and pop into the oven or toast on the griddle pan. The heat and the melting cheese will soften your bread making it good as new!
More toastie recipes
- Get the recipe: Tuna and ciabatta melt
- Get the recipe: Mozzarella and tomato toasties
- Get the recipe: BLT fried egg and cheese toastie
Treacle tart
Yes, you really can turn your stale bread into this glorious dessert! Just crumble with your fingertips or blitz in your food processor and add to the sweet, gooey treacle mix. The bread gives this tart a dense, spongey texture.
More treacle tart recipes
Croutons
If you love garnishing your soup or sprinkling your salad with croutons it's time to put your stale bread to good use and make your own. Croutons are so easy to make and are simply just small pieces of stale bread fried or baked in oil.
More crouton recipes
- Get the recipe: Leek soup with herby croutons
- Get the recipe: Beetroot soup with goat's cheese croutons
- Get the recipe: Chicken salad with ciabatta croutons
Bread sauce
Bread sauce is classically served with Christmas dinner but we can't see the harm in serving it alongside your roast dinner on a Sunday evening. Of course the key ingredient in bread sauce is white bread.
More bread sauce recipes:
Fruit pudding
Turn those white slices of bread into an impressive pudding that the whole family can tuck into! We just love how you can transform a savoury loaf into a sweet treat in minutes with this recipe. Serve with fresh cream for an extra naughty dessert!
More fruit pudding recipes:
Canapes
If you're hosting a party or you're in the mood for being fancy by whipping up a starter before dinner, use your stale bread to make canapes. From crostini to bruschetta, you can make lots of delicious bites with your leftover bread.
More canape recipes:
