Five thrifty ways to use up stale bread, including chips, croutons, soup and more

I bake and eat bread so quickly that there’s usually very little opportunity for it to go stale, especially if I’ve stored it properly. But it happens to even the best of us.

If you’re staring down bread that’s past its prime, here are suggestions for how to use it in new, tasty and thrifty ways.

Chips

After a recent beach trip, I came home with a few bagels that had been sitting on the counter for almost a week. I had a feeling they’d make great bagel chips, and I was right. So I decided to share my technique with you all below in a recipe for baked or air fryer bagel chips, in which thin slices of bagels are brushed with a mix of butter and olive oil and then crisped in the oven or air fryer (see recipe below).

Pitas also lend themselves well to the chip treatment. Simply cut into triangles, brush with oil and bake until crisp and golden. For super-crunchy results, bake at 210 fan-forced (230C conventional) for 10 minutes. US dietitian Ellie Krieger also makes thin toasts with halved pitas cut into wedges and baked at 160C fan-forced (180C conventional) for 5 to 6 minutes.

Croutons

Almost any kind of bread can be turned into croutons. Cookbook author Tara Jensen is a big fan of sourdough, especially loaves made with some whole wheat, so that the bran rehydrates and soaks up more of the oil for optimal flavour and a slight chew.

Hearty white sandwich bread, such as the sliced loaves you might get at the store, is a great option. (Just nothing too thin, please.) You can go bolder with rye or pumpernickel, though darker breads can be harder to gauge doneness based on colour alone.

Using older bread will help the bread soak up the fat (extra-virgin olive oil is a go-to) and create a crisp texture. Jensen prefers to tear the bread for croutons by hand. The irregular shape means you’ll get contrasting textures – crispy point here, softer bready spot there. The oven is an excellent way to toast croutons, since it’s relatively hands off and makes it simple to cook up a big batch. Aim for 155C to 185C fan-forced (175C to 205C conventional), and expect the toasting to take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size and type of your bread, the temperature and your preferred level of doneness. If you’re working with smaller amounts, you can toast croutons in a skillet on the stovetop. Jensen also grills slices of bread, then tears them into pieces after they have been toasted.

French toast and bread pudding

French toast is a classic use for stale bread, though it works best with loaves with a tighter crumb rather than very open one. My favourite bread to use is challah. For a large-format option built for the oven, there’s always baked French toast or bread pudding. Bread pudding can be made with layers of slices, but you open up your options if you decide to go with cubed bread, which you can dry out overnight or in the oven so that it better soaks up your custard made with eggs and milk, heavy cream or half-and-half.

Breadcrumbs

This is one of the lowest-lift options. Run your stale bread through the food processor until it is finely ground. If you need dried breadcrumbs, leave to stale on a sheet pan or toast briefly in a moderate oven to dry out. Use right away or stash in the freezer. If you want to go straight into the kind of crisp, golden crumbs you get in the store, stick to New York recipe writer Jesse Szewczyk’s technique, in which you essentially first make croutons and then grind, season and fry them to golden perfection. After that, they’ll be ready to use on top of pastas and casseroles or as part of a breading for chicken cutlets.

If you’re a pie baker, follow the lead of such experts as cookbook author Dorie Greenspan and place a layer of dried breadcrumbs on top of the crust to prevent the dreaded soggy bottom.

Soups and stews

Cultures all over the world have for centuries incorporated old bread into rustic fare that stretches even meager ingredients into something hearty. Depending on the recipe, you can allow torn pieces of bread to disintegrate into the soup and leave as is, or you can puree the soup for a smoother texture with the thickening power of the bread.

Baked or air-fried bagel chips

These chips are so good you’ll be intentionally buying (or baking) extra bagels to make them. We offer instructions on how to make them in the oven and air fryer.

Consider this recipe a template to make your ideal bagel chips. Use any type of bagel you like, whether stale or fresh, though stale bagels will bake quicker. We liked the combination of oil and butter for brushing, but you can use just one, if you prefer. If your bagels are not seasoned already, toss the chips with your favourite spice blend. While we enjoyed the heft of half-centimetre slices, the bagels can be sliced to your desired thickness.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 3 medium bagels, stale or fresh, cut into ½-centimetre-thick rounds
• ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• spice blend of your choice, for sprinkling (optional)

METHOD

1. If baking in the oven, position a rack in the middle and preheat to 155C fan-forced (175C conventional). If using the air fryer, set to 165C and preheat until the appliance signals it’s ready.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and butter.
3. Brush one side of each bagel slice with the oil-butter mixture and set on a large, rimmed baking sheet (it sounds fiddly, but this ensures more even coverage than if you tossed everything together in a bowl). Season with half of the salt and some of the spice, if using. Flip the slices over and repeat the brushing, then season with the remaining salt and more everything spice. Be sure the slices are in a single layer with as little overlap as possible.
4. If using the oven, bake for 12 to 18 minutes, or until the chips are crisp and golden, or they have reached your desired level of crunch (they will get a bit harder as they cool). Halfway through baking, rotate the pan from front to back and stir the chips. Stale bagels will be done on the lower end of the range, while fresh ones will take longer.
5. If using the air fryer, transfer the coated and salted bagel slices to the air fryer basket and bake for 13 to 16 minutes, or until crisp and golden, stirring the chips two or three times during baking.
6. Let the chips cool completely before serving or storing.

Serves 8

Note: Depending on which air fryer you use, you may need to adjust the cooking time and/or temperature to achieve the desired results.

Store in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Washington Post