Stale bread

[Roadrunner53]

I keep buying bread but it gets stale before I use it all. What can I do with it besides bread crumbs and croutons? Makes me crazy to chuck it in garbage. Not sure if it is really good to throw outside due to the fact we have coyotes nearby and I do not want to attract them to my yard with small dogs.

[G-dog]

French toast
Bread pudding
Strata
Stuffing/ dressing
Grilled cheese
Toad in the hole

[EngineeringFI]

Also, in the future, you might want to consider freezing the portion of the loaf you're not going to use. I normally buy a loaf of sprouted grain bread (e.g. "Ezekiel" bread) and pull it out from the freezer when I want a few slices, then the rest of the loaf goes back in the freezer. My last loaf lasted well over a month before I used it all (I don't eat much bread).

[Melf]

I second the freezer strategy.  Just put part of the loaf in the freezer in whatever amounts you think will work for you (half, quarter, individual servings, etc.) and pull out as needed.  You can use Ziploc bags, other re-sealable containers or even used bread bags.  Once out of the freezer it thaws pretty quickly and I generally can't tell the difference whether it's been frozen or not.

[SC93]

If you know you are going to eat it 5 hours ahead of time, put the pieces you will eat in a bag. Now get a paper towel and wet it. Put the bread as far at one end as you can get it and the soaking wet paper towel at the other. Not seal the bag. When you are ready to eat it, the bread should be much softer. I was just telling my sister in law about this yesterday.

I'm very picky about my bread so I can not do the freezer thing with my bread.

[Roadrunner53]

Anyone have a crockpot breakfast recipe using stale bread or a dinner recipe? Such as a French toast sausage maple syrup. Or a taco type meal or something meaty? I am stretching here. Yes, I should freeze the bread but my freezer is usually so full of stuff I have very little room for bread in there!

Or do something like a bread pizza? I wonder how grilled cheese sammies would be if you cooked them and then froze them? Never tried that! I think I like that Idea!

[a-scho]

meatloaf, meatballs
crunchy topping to mac and cheese/cauliflower and cheese/tuna casserole

[Dicey]

Freeze it, but not the whole loaf. Put two slices in a sandwich size zip bag. Then stack the bags of two slices back into the bread bag and place the whole thing in the freezer. When you want bread, just pull two slices at a time out. Easy-peasy.

[soccerluvof4]

One, if you buying pre-sliced bread dont as it becomes stale faster as it is exposed to more to air because its not sealed totally by the crust which serves as an air barrier.  2 cut a loaf in the center and take your slices push the sides back together and thats it. Your bread will last a heck of alot longer and wont get stale anywhere near as fast.

[tralfamadorian]

Panzanella in the summer

[MrsPete]

Buy smaller loaves.  I often pick up what Target calls "demi-loaves" in the bakery; depending upon whether they're on sale and what type of bread, they're between fifty cents and two dollars.  They require slicing.

[ysette9]

I love French toast myself. In French it is called « pain perdu », or “lost bread”. Meaning, a way of resurrecting what would otherwise be lost bread.

[honeybbq]

Definitely strata. It's so forgiving, you can use just about any type or texture of bread.

[Greenblatt]

I keep buying bread but it gets stale before I use it all. What can I do with it besides bread crumbs and croutons? Makes me crazy to chuck it in garbage. Not sure if it is really good to throw outside due to the fact we have coyotes nearby and I do not want to attract them to my yard with small dogs.

Maybe you just don't like bread? What do you use it for? (Ex if for breakfast try eating oatmeal instead)

[Roadrunner53]

I use it for sandwiches, grill cheese and toast sometimes. However, it is just the Hub and me and we don't use bread every day.

[Barbaebigode]

Bruschetta, or just slice it and put it in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil.

[Roadrunner53]

Okay, I found a really good solution to my leftover/stale bread. I buy a lot of rye bread and this recipe uses rye bread. Baked Reuben Casserole. doubled it and it was delish! Lots of leftovers. I am also thinking this recipe could be adapted and you could play with it and add other meats, remove sauerkraut, add veggies. http://www.winnerdinners.com/baked-reuben-casserole/

[fuzzy math]

Bread will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. No need to freeze.
It does dry out a bit over time, but you can just eat toasted sandwiches as you get to the end of the   loaf

[spokey doke]

Bread will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. No need to freeze.
It does dry out s bit over time, but you can just eat toasted sandwiches as y9u get to the end ofThere loaf

Bread actually stales faster in the fridge...

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/06/does-refrigeration-really-ruin-bread.html

[Johnez]

Maybe try a different bread. I've noticed Aldi's bread felt stale way faster than for some reason, good date and everything.

[fuzzy math]

Bread will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. No need to freeze.
It does dry out s bit over time, but you can just eat toasted sandwiches as y9u get to the end ofThere loaf

Bread actually stales faster in the fridge...

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/06/does-refrigeration-really-ruin-bread.html

That's fancy bread! It always dries out to begin with.  I'm talking about garbage sliced bread that my kids eat. It doesn't really stale up much but it will mold out on the counter. I find the molding process halts in the fridge.

[mustachepungoeshere]

Panzanella in the summer

Came here to say this. I tear stale bread into thumb-sized pieces and stash them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. That way I always have bread for panzanella. Works especially well with sourdough or focaccia.

[Carrie]

I throw older bread/ heels in the freezer for use in homemade stuffing/dressing. When I want to make it I toast in the oven on a low temp to dry out, crumble/cut it into cubes, then add to butter, stock, sautéed veggies.
Also good to use in bread pudding - very easy and a nice breakfast/dessert.

[Roadrunner53]

Okay, this is way out there but I just thought of a use for old bread. Freeze it then when you cook something very greasy and you need to sop it up, thaw out some bread slices and soak up the grease with it rather than using paper towels or down the drain which is a no no!

[GuitarStv]

Pour water all over the crust of the bread until it's quite damp, then heat your oven to about 350 and pop the stale bread in for 5 - 8 minutes.  The water makes it' way to the center, the crust dries out, and the bread will taste like it's been fresh made.  (Doesn't work for sliced bread, just unsliced loaves.  Does work great for pizza crust.)

[Raenia]

Crutons, stuffing, bread pudding, or french toast.  Freezing works for some types of bread, not as well for others, you'll have to try it and see if you can notice the difference. 

[Julard]

Freeze, then lots of vegemite toast.

[NorthernBlitz]

French onion soup is best with stale bread.

Also recommend freezing.

Maybe if it's always going stale you could also stop buying it?

[Imma]

Drip some water (maybe a 1-2 teaspoons) on the slices, then put them in the oven for a few minutes. If you take it out in time, you'll have nearly fresh tasting bread. If you take it out a few minutes late, you have toast.

My mum used to make mini pizza's from stale French bread. You slice it in half, spread some tomato puree on the bread, your favourite pizza toppings and a bit of cheese, then put it in the oven until the cheese melts.

[netskyblue]

I just toast it lightly, if it's for a sandwich or something.  Lightly toasted is better than slightly dry but not toasted.

[Roadrunner53]

Maybe make cheese sandwiches and pull them out of the freezer to make grilled cheese.