Leftover bread recipes (2024)

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A collection of the best ways to use up leftover bread. 19 recipes and ideas you’ll come back to over and over.

Leftover bread recipes (1)

There are ways to store bread to make it last longer. But sometimes you’d rather just be done with it! And whether you’ve made the loaf or bought it, it feels wrong to just throw it out.

Here are the best recipes for leftover bread that will help you use up any kind: from rustic sourdough to plain sandwich bread to hot dog buns.

Bread Pudding

Leftover bread recipes (2)

Bread pudding is a great use of leftover bread, and it’s a versatile recipe because the type of bread doesn’t really matter: you can use anything from a soft challah to a rustic sourdough. You will want a stale bread for this recipe.

It’s easy to make and can be made ahead. You simple make a sweet custard of milk and egg, pour it over the cubed bread, and bake.

One of the best things about bread pudding is how many variations there are: you can make it plain, add chocolate chunks, or try one of these varieties

Breadcrumbs

You don’t really need a recipe for these. You just put stale bread in the food processor and whirl until you have.. bread crumbs. You can use fancy artisan bread, plain old sandwich bread, or even leftover hot dog buns.

Breadcrumbs are perfect for everything from breading chicken to topping baked mac and cheese. And they are so easy to make, that when you don’t feel like a big production they are a perfect way to avoid wasting your bread.

Pop these in a freezer bag and freeze what you don’t use right away; they will last for months.

Leftover bread recipes (3)

Croutons

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Croutons take a few minutes to make but are so useful. Even a super plain salad with nothing but lettuce and dressing feels special with some homemade croutons on top. And a good crouton is absolutely necessary for making the best French onion soup.

To make croutons, you’ll want a sturdy bread that holds its shape when diced. A few days old is best. All you need to do is:

  1. Dice the bread in cubes
  2. Toss in olive oil or melted butter.
  3. Sprinkle on some herbs.
  4. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

You can use my crouton recipe or you can just sort of eyeball it. It’s not rocket science.

They freeze great too!

Panzanella (aka bread salad)

If you love Italian flavors, then you’ll love panzanella. It’s plate of stale bread which has been soaked in a mixture of olive oil, vinegar and tomatoes. You can add more herbs and seasonings if you want.

Panzanella is a recipe that’s best with a sturdier bread. You want each piece to stay firm, not turn to mush. It’s a bread salad after all, not a pudding!

Stuffing

Homemade stuffing is a leftover bread classic. It’s simple cubed bread with some broth and seasonings that’s baked and served alongside (or inside) meat.

You can use any kind of bread for more stuffing recipes, and even leftover cornbread is delicious.

Stuffing is traditionally made on holidays, but there’s no reason you can’t serve this for any family dinner. If you’re a regular bread baker with lots of leftovers, you’ll want to make stuffing more than twice a year. Comfort food at its best.

If you are looking for more ways to use a sturdy bread, try this recipe for sourdough stuffing.

French toast

You can use pretty much any bread for a French toast recipe, but if you happen to have leftover brioche or challah bread, you’re in luck. The softer and sweeter the bread, the better your French toast will turn out.

This popular brunch dish is one of the few leftover bread ideas that uses bread slices. Topped with whipped cream or maple syrup, it’s a crowd pleaser.

Breakfast strata

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Breakfast strata is a breakfast casserole with big cubes of leftover bread with eggs and savory seasonings poured on top. The same technique as a bread pudding, but savory and breakfast oriented. One of the best things about these recipes is that they are completely flexible. You can add veggies, bacon, sausage, more seasonings, or anything else you wish.

They can also be made at night, popped in the fridge, and baked in the morning.

French toast casserole

These recipes are somewhere between bread pudding and strata. It’s a dish that can be made in the morning or the night before, but it’s sweet and custard based.

Most of these recipes do best with a sturdy bread like homemade sourdough, but if you’re making it in the morning a softer bread will work too.

Some of our favorite French toast casseroles:

Slow cooker stuffing recipes

These are something you may never have tried, but they are easy and delicious dinners. Basically you spray your slow cooker liner with cooking spray, add cubed bread and meat, broth, and seasonings and let it slow cook.

These recipes are some of the best:

Crostini

It’s just a fancy way to say little toasts with stuff on top. If you’ve ever had bruschetta, just think of the little toasted slices of bread served alongside it. Brushed with olive oil and baked or broiled, crostini are begging for a yummy topping. Spinach and artichoke dip goes from football food to gourmet dish when you pair with these little guys.

These are, obviously, easiest with a long and narrow loaf like a baguette.

Some dips and serving ideas for these yummy slices:

And that’s all!

Hope you found a leftover bread recipe that’s perfect for what you need.

Leftover bread recipes (6)

Leftover bread recipes (7)

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Leftover bread recipes (2024)

FAQs

What to do with too much bread? ›

Our Best Leftover Bread Recipes
  1. 01 of 10. Ribollita. ...
  2. 02 of 10. Vanilla Ice Cream Bread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel. ...
  3. 03 of 10. Challah French Toast. ...
  4. 04 of 10. Savory Bread Pudding. ...
  5. 05 of 10. Kale Strata. ...
  6. 06 of 10. Eggplant Parmesan with Crisp Bread Topping. ...
  7. 07 of 10. Crostini with Grilled Sweet Onions and Blue Cheese. ...
  8. 08 of 10.
Oct 28, 2022

What to do with expired bread? ›

15 Ways to Use Up Stale Bread
  1. Easy Breakfast Casserole. Elise Bauer. ...
  2. French Toast Casserole. Lisa Lin. ...
  3. Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole. Sheryl Julian. ...
  4. Chocolate Raspberry French Toast. Chocolate French Toast? ...
  5. Radicchio Salad with Citrus. ...
  6. Panzanella Bread Salad. ...
  7. Air Fryer Crispy Cauliflower. ...
  8. Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese.
Jun 2, 2020

What can I do with leftover bread in a bakery? ›

Day-old bread is often used to make bread crumbs and if the bakery is also a cafe, the bread is sometimes used to make bread pudding or frittatas.

Why do I get a heavy stomach after eating bread? ›

Is eating bread giving you bloating and other digestive symptoms? If so, you could be sensitive to wheat. Cutting out bread or changing the type you eat may help. More and more of us claim to suffer from a wheat allergy, so we shun bread and other wheat-based foods, like pasta and cereals.

What savoury dish can be made from bread? ›

Savoury recipes made with leftover bread
  1. Ham, Cheese and Chutney French Toast Bake. 4.46154. 4.5. Cheesy Bacon and Mushroom Bread Bake. 4.333335. ...
  2. Fun Brekky Eggs in Toast. 3.933335. 3.9. Caramelised onion, tomato and thyme pie maker tarts. 4.48936. ...
  3. Baked Egg and Cheese Toasts. 4.5. 4.5. Crispy Rolled Pork with Easy Herb Stuffing.

How do you not waste stale bread? ›

Moisten your bread under cold water, without soaking it. Bake it for about 5 minutes on the oven rack. The bread will be soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, just like fresh bread! We advise you to eat it quickly and not to wait for the next meal.

Should I throw stale bread? ›

Stale Bread and Stale Cereal Is Safe to Eat.

If there's no mold, it's fine to eat. You might consider making bread crumbs with stale bread, reviving it by running it under water and refreshing it in the oven, or add stale cereal into a snack bar recipe. There are lots of ways to waste less food.

Can I eat 2 week old expired bread? ›

Bread will generally become stale past its expiration date, but it is still safe to eat. If you want to extend the life of your bread even longer, store it in the fridge or freezer. If you spot any bits of mold, toss it.

Can you eat 3 day old expired bread? ›

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.

Is it bad to eat bread after expiration date? ›

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.

What do supermarkets do with old bread? ›

“Excess bread is donated to a variety of charity partners such as OzHarvest, Food Bank and FareShare, along with other hunger relief agencies, farmers and commercial composters to be put to good use,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

What do restaurants do with uneaten bread? ›

In his book “Kitchen Confidential,” Anthony Bourdain claimed that restaurants commonly recycle uneaten bread from complimentary baskets, describing it as a “standard practice.”

Do bakeries sell stale bread? ›

Ask for stale or day-old bread.

So ask the bakery if they either have stale bread in back or day-old bread at a discount, since the price will often be half the price of fresh loaves, and will save you the step of letting it stale at your house.

Can I freeze bread? ›

Because this household staple typically goes stale in a matter of days, the freezer is the best option to keep it fresh; it preserves freshly baked bread at its prime. And helpfully, most bread can be frozen for as long as three months.

How many slices of bread is too much? ›

For Adults: Moderation is key; typically, 2-4 slices of whole grain bread align with a healthy diet plan. Refined white bread should be limited due to lower nutritional value and potential to spike blood sugar levels.

What happens to your body after eating bread? ›

You'll Increase Your Fiber Intake

Whether it's white, wheat or even sourdough, all bread contains fiber—an essential nutrient the body needs for better digestion, gut health and even weight management. However, some types of bread, such as 100% whole-wheat and whole-grain bread, contain more fiber than others.

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