12 Clever Recipes for Stale Bread (That You'll Actually Want to Make)

No bread goes to waste in my house anymore. And that’s not because I’m this Martha Stewart-y domestic fairy. In fact, I’m the complete opposite. There was a time when I tossed embarrassing amounts of moldy bread — or bagged it up as a guilt offering for the ducks at the pond. Worse, I’d cook with store-bought breadcrumbs while the sad lump of stale bread sat there, silently judging me. But then you run out of an ingredient, grab that stale bread out of desperation, and — epiphany. 

Turns out, there are countless ways to use stale bread — here are 12 of the smartest.

Once you start making your own breadcrumbs, you’ll kick yourself for ever buying them at the grocery store. It’s the easiest, no-fuss way to save that sad lump of stale bread from the trash and turn it into something you can use in a ton of recipes (think meatloaf, meatballs, or crispy coatings). 

Depending on how hard your bread is, you can either toss it straight into a food processor, or dry it out in the oven or air fryer first for extra crunch.

Recipe: Bigger, Bolder Baking

Here’s another way to salvage that bread that’ll make you do the retrospective kicking thing — because croutons are not cheap and are ridiculously easy to make. Chop your bread into bite-sized pieces, toss them with olive oil, a sprinkle of garlic powder, maybe some Parmesan or dried herbs if you’re feeling fancy, and bake until golden and crisp.

Recipe: Give Me Some Oven

While it’s true that you can make bread pudding with fresh bread, the stale one soaks up more of the custard. Soak chunks of stale bread in a mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla, and bake until golden and custardy. You can amp it up with raisins and chocolate chips or go savory with cheese, herbs, and even bacon. 

For a holiday version, add dried cranberries, nutmeg, and a splash of rum or bourbon.

Recipe: Allrecipes

Slightly stale bread is perfect for French toast. It soaks up the eggy custard without falling apart or turning to mush. Whisk together eggs, milk, a splash of vanilla, and a pinch of cinnamon. Dip the bread until it’s fully saturated, then fry it in butter until golden and crispy on the outside and soft and custardy on the inside.

If you don’t have a sweet tooth, try the Balkan version of French toast, called prženice. The method is almost the same but skips the milk and vanilla. Instead, you soak the bread in whisked eggs with a pinch of salt, then straight into the frying pan they go. It pairs perfectly with cottage cheese and fresh tomatoes.

Here’s a trivia tidbit you probably won’t need to save your life, but it helps explain why Tuscans use so much stale bread in their recipes: their traditional bread, made without salt, goes stale faster than other types. The most popular of these recipes is panzanella salad, a peasant dish born of necessity that has become a summer staple. Combine chunks of stale bread with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olive oil, vinegar, and basil. Let it sit so the bread can soak up all the juicy, tomatoey goodness.

Recipe: Food Wishes

Here’s another “poor people were genius” way to use leftover bread — this time, Portuguese style. The term açorda in Portuguese refers to any dish where stale bread is the base, softened and transformed with flavorful liquids and seasonings. But açorda de camarão (shrimp açorda) is probably the most popular and decadent version.

Stale bread is soaked in a rich shrimp broth, mashed into a porridge-like consistency, and then cooked with garlic, olive oil, and a punch of fresh cilantro.

Recipe: Taste of Lisboa

Most holiday recipes call for stuffing — or dressing, depending on what you like to call it. Instead of adding one more thing to your shopping list, put that stale bread to work. Toss chunks of it in broth, sauté some onions, celery, and plenty of herbs like sage, thyme, or parsley. From there, the possibilities are endless — add sausage, mushrooms, cranberries, or whatever gets your jingle on.

Recipe: Mom's Dinner

Ribollita means “reboiled” in Italian and is yet another Tuscan recipe that turns stale bread into a hearty comforting soup. The base is a mix of vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, and kale (often Tuscan kale, if you’re keeping it traditional), along with beans, tomatoes, and a good glug of olive oil. The stale bread is layered into the soup to soak up all the flavors. Traditionally, ribollita is eaten the next day when reheated (hence the name).

Recipe: The Mediterranean Dish

Strata is the fancy, savory cousin of bread pudding and it combines stale bread, eggs, milk, and cheese into a baked casserole that works for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner. The beauty of strata lies in its versatility — you can throw in just about anything you have on hand.

Recipe: The Pioneer Woman

Toss chunks of stale bread into your pot as a nifty way to thicken soups naturally, without using cream or flour. As the bread softens, it will blend into the broth and create a velvety texture and subtle, earthy flavor.

Brown Betty is an old-school dessert that proves stale bread and apples are a match made in heaven. The charmingly named dish layers sweetened bread crumbs with sliced apples (or sometimes pears) and a sprinkle of warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Everything is baked until the fruit is tender, and the top is golden and crisp.

Recipe: Fat Dough

Probably the most ingenious way to use leftover bread is to resurrect it and turn it back into the fresh, fluffy version it once was. Just soak the bread in a good amount of water—but not too much, or you’ll end up with sogginess. Once it’s soaked but not dripping, pop it into a preheated oven and bake it for a while. That’s it.

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