Got Leftover Bread? These 8 Recipes Make Days-Old Bread Taste Good as New (2024)

FAQs

What to do with bread that's about to go bad? ›

Day-old bread refers to bread that was baked the previous day and is no longer fresh. It is still safe to eat but may have lost some of its moisture and softness. How does day-old bread differ from fresh bread? Day-old bread is typically drier and less soft compared to fresh bread.

Depending on how hard it it, you could always try the trick of rinsing the baguette with water (yes, rinse it), wrap it in foil and put it in a cold oven, turn on to 300F, heat it for about 12 min, then uncover and heat it for about four min. I've done it before and does a decent job of reviving a baguette.

The type of bread that lasts the longest before molding is part-baked vacuum-packed bread, which typically has a shelf life of up to 3 months. Another option is cheap sliced brown bread in its original plastic wrapper, which can last for at least a month.

Add moisture.

Brush or spritz water all over the bread. Use more if the loaf is very dry and/or has a thick crust. Use less if the loaf has a thin crust or just needs a little pick-me-up. I've actually run the crust of a stale loaf directly under the faucet for a brief second without the bread getting soggy.

The most common source of leavening in antiquity was to retain a piece of dough (with sugar and water in) from the previous day to utilize as a form of sourdough starter. Pliny the Elder reported that the Gauls and Iberians used the foam skimmed from beer to produce "a lighter kind of bread than other peoples".

Dry, my pretties, dry (in the oven)!

Start by cutting the bread of your choice into half-inch cubes. Spread the cubed bread on top of two cooling racks set in two half-sheet pans. Heat your oven to the lowest setting (typically 150°–200°F) and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until completely dry.

If the bread is commercial soft wrapped “bread”, it will probably keep for a week and then start to go moldy in warm temperature, or a little longer in cooler room temperatures. If it is REAL bread with a crust, it will become moldy if wrapped, or stale if unwrapped.

Commercially baked breads and rolls can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 4 days or 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator. Bread products retain their quality when stored in the freezer for 3 months. Any breads containing meat or hard cooked eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours.

According to “sell by” dates, bread is good for three to five days after opening, but it can actually be consumed much longer after that as long as there is no mold growth. You can usually see fuzzy, green spots on the surface of bread, so it's easy to tell when it's time to toss.

What do French people dip their bread in? ›

Almost all French people have bread for breakfast. Toasted or not, it is eaten with butter and/or jam, honey or chocolate spread, and dipped into their mug of coffee. Although this can be a bit messy with crumbles of bread falling into the coffee and drops of coffee falling on the table, the French love it.

Here are a few ideas: Make breadcrumbs: Pulse the bread in a food processor or blender to make fresh breadcrumbs. You can use them to coat chicken or fish, or sprinkle them on top of baked mac and cheese. French toast: Cut the bread into thick slices and use it to make French toast.

In France, bakers pay careful attention to where their flour is made and which grains are used in the milling process. The result is usually softer, heartier, and tastier bread than can be found in other parts of the world.

If the date on your bread or snacks has expired, it does not mean they have not gone bad. In fact, once something goes stale it means that it has been depleted of moisture, which makes it less likely to grow mold. Try storing it in a plastic bag for extended shelf life.

Commercially baked breads and rolls can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 4 days or 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator. Bread products retain their quality when stored in the freezer for 3 months. Any breads containing meat or hard cooked eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours.

Both store-bought and homemade bread should freeze well, says Lisa Brooks, the chef and owner of Heart & Soul, a personal chef service. Her go-to method involves wrapping the bread in two layers of plastic wrap and then storing the loaf in a resealable plastic freezer bag before freezing.

The reason a refrigerator is bad for bread: When bread is stored in a cold (but above freezing) environment, this recrystallization, and therefore staling, happens much faster than at warmer temperatures. Freezing, however, dramatically slows the process down.