Bread rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 571 recipes to cook with it.
Key Points
Bread is more than a sandwich base; it thickens soups, binds meatballs, and crisps into croutons.
Stale bread cooks better than fresh because staling firms the crumb so it holds liquid.
Too-fresh bread collapses in French toast and stuffing; dry it in a low oven first.
Enriched breads like brioche and challah are the top pick for French toast and pudding.
Never refrigerate bread; cold speeds staling. Freeze sliced for 3 to 4 months instead.
What is bread?
Bread is baked dough, usually flour and water leavened with yeast or a chemical riser, and it is one of the oldest cooked foods there is. As a recipe ingredient it is far more than a sandwich base: it thickens, binds, crisps, and soaks up flavor in dozens of dishes.
The key thing a cook needs to understand is that bread is mostly starch and air. That structure is why fresh bread is soft and why it goes stale, and why stale bread often cooks better than fresh.
Bread as a Cooking Ingredient
Toast is the simplest move and still worth doing well: drier, browner toast holds butter and toppings without going soggy, as in this rich Donny Boy Toast. Heat also deepens flavor through the Maillard reaction, which is why a toasted crouton tastes nuttier than plain bread.
Bread also binds and tenderizes. A panade, which is bread soaked in milk and mashed to paste, keeps meatballs and meatloaf moist by holding water that would otherwise cook out. Dried and ground, bread becomes the crumbs that coat a cutlet or top a casserole with crunch.
And it is the whole point of some dishes. Strawberry Stuffed French Toast and a summer berry pudding both rely on bread soaking up a wet custard or juice and setting into something new.
Why Stale Bread Is a Feature
Staling is not drying out, though it feels that way. It is retrogradation: the starch crystallizes and firms up even while moisture is still present. That is why a sealed loaf still goes firm, and why a quick warming in the oven temporarily reverses it.
For cooking, firm day-old bread is the cook's friend. Fresh bread is too soft and wet; it tears in soup and turns to mush in French toast. A day or two of staling gives the slice enough structure to soak up liquid and still hold its shape.
So the failure mode is using bread that is too fresh. If your French toast collapses or your stuffing turns gluey, the bread was too soft to begin with. Dry it in a low oven for a few minutes to firm it up.
Types and What They Do
White sandwich loaves are soft and mild, good for tender crumbs and even slices. Crusty lean breads like baguette and country sourdough have chew and big open holes, which makes them ideal for croutons and panzanella, or torn into a bowl of olive oil.
Enriched breads such as brioche and challah carry butter and egg. That richness makes them the top pick for French toast and bread pudding.
Rye and whole-wheat bring assertive flavor that stands up to smoked fish and strong cheese.
Flatbreads are their own family: pita pockets a filling, naan scoops curry, and tortillas wrap or fry into something crisp. Quick breads skip yeast and lean on baking powder, so they bake dense and cake-like rather than airy.
Substitutes
If you are out of fresh bread for crumbs, crushed crackers or panko give a similar crisp coating, and crushed cornflakes work too. For thickening a soup, a handful of torn bread can be swapped for a spoonful of flour-and-butter roux.
In a sandwich, a tortilla or a sheet of lavash makes a lighter wrap, as does a large lettuce leaf. For French toast or pudding, only an enriched or sturdy bread truly substitutes; thin sandwich bread falls apart in the custard.
There is no clean swap for a good crusty loaf served alongside a meal. That one you just buy.
Buying and Storing
Bakery bread with a real crust and a short ingredient list stays better than soft supermarket loaves heavy with sugar and dough conditioners. Press the loaf: it should feel light for its size with a crust that crackles.
Keep crusty bread cut-side down on the counter or in a paper bag for a day or two, so the crust breathes. A sealed plastic bag traps moisture and softens the crust, which speeds mold; use plastic only for soft sandwich bread you will finish quickly.
Do not refrigerate bread. The fridge is the worst place for it, because cold actually accelerates staling.
For anything beyond a few days, freeze it. Slice first and wrap airtight; it keeps 3 to 4 months at 0°F (-18°C), and you can drop frozen slices straight into the toaster. Whole loaves thaw best wrapped at room temperature, then crisped in a hot oven.
Types of bread
Specific kinds of bread and the recipes that use them.
A hamburger bun is a type of bread used to hold a hamburger and the various condiments and other toppings typically eaten upon such a burger. This type of bun is similar to a roll in some respects and is usually sliced in half to allow the burger to be placed in the middle.
Not only does the bun make the hamburger into a portable food, it also makes it easier for an eater to keep his or her hands clean while eating the burger. A hamburger bun can be made from different types of flour and can include things like chopped onion and sesame seeds.
A hamburger bun can be made using white flour, though wheat flour can also be used to make a somewhat healthier bun.
Though typically fairly plain, hamburger buns can also be made with spices such as garlic and onion powders, and may be topped with things like diced onion and sesame seeds before baking.
Even more elaborate buns have been made and are typically associated with a particular type of sandwich.
Golden French toast stuffed with warm blueberry-maple compote and dusted with powdered sugar. Make weekend brunch feel special with this sweet sandwich.
Sharp cheddar whipped with sour cream, Worcestershire, and crispy crumbled bacon makes a rich, tangy spread for this loaded cheddar bacon sandwich. Ready in 10 minutes flat.
Breakfast fruit focaccia uses thawed frozen bread dough as a shortcut base, topped with sliced plums, butter, and cinnamon sugar. Tastes like a Tuscan breakfast pastry without the dough work.
A very simple recipe for a classic, which helps you to get warm in the winter (ok, I mean when it is getting 4° Celsius in the night in Southern California). The number of servings is accurate when you have it as a meal - as a starter it should serve way more people.
I did not list any spices, as I usually have self made chicken broth which is already pretty tasty and spicy, sweetness comes from the onions and the white wine balances it. For bread and cheese - don't think about any fancy, old dry bread is good and any cheese which melts. The onions are king when it comes to taste.
Ovenproof crock bowls are very nice for final preparation and serving the soup.
Creamy avocados, juicy-sweet tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, meaty chickpeas and salty olives are on top of a bed of lettuce or any your favorite greens. Drizzle some freshly homemade vinaigrette and serve with a few slices of good bread.
Quick, easy and delicious. I only had salami, and that's what I used in the sandwich. Of course a slice of ham and smoked turkey would double the yumminess. I shredded the lettuce, and seasoned it with a bit extra-virgin olive oil, wine vinegar, salt and black pepper. The tomato slices were also seasoned with a pinch of sea salt. The sandwich was so good!
Capsicum toast recipe with semolina. Fresh bell pepper, tomato and onion mixed into a spread, pan-toasted on bread for a crispy open-faced snack or healthy kids lunch. Ready in 25 minutes with simple steps.
Basic red gazpacho is the classic Andalusian chilled tomato soup: ripe tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, garlic, and stale bread blended with sherry vinegar and olive oil. No cooking required.
Spinach-miso pesto crostini, toasted country bread spread with a vibrant umami-rich spinach-miso pesto and topped with sweet roasted red pepper. A light, quick, dairy-free appetizer ready in minutes.
This Delicious Hot Sandwich Is Great To Eat On A Chilly Afternoon! Hot Off The Grill...Steamy Hot!! ...Or On Any Day For Me!! Melted Soy Mozzarella With Broccoli Rabe All Grilled And Served Up Hot And Steamy!!
Sri Lankan savory fried bread snack made by dipping spiced bread triangles in a chickpea flour batter and frying until crispy. Best served hot with tomato chutney tucked inside for a street food experience.
The flavor, texture and nutrients were all well balanced. Made these for breakfast today, it was very tasty, and certainly gave us enough good energies to start the day.
Made this Italian grilled cheese with 15-minute tomato soup (see the linked recipe below) for lunch, and what more can I say other than delicious. Grilled cheese and tomato soup are a classic pair, so it always a winner.
Butternut squash and apple soup blends Granny Smith with rosemary and marjoram, thickened naturally with bread cubes and finished with an egg yolk and cream liaison. Pure autumn in a bowl.
Making croutons is a great way to use up your day-old bread, and croutons are an excellent accompaniment with salad, especially for casar salad. This quick, easy, flavorful and crunchy croutons take you no time to have some delicious crunch.
Good olive oil, a few sage sprigs, fresh lemon strips, sweet baby peppers, garlics and mixed Italian olives are sauteed in a pan, and they come out delicious and flavorful. Serve it with some warm crusted bread, you will be additive to these yummy bites after the first attempt.
Traditional Madrid-style gazpacho with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, crumbled French bread, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. A chilled vegan summer soup.
Adapted this recipe from Emeril of Foodnetwork. Bread pudding not only can be a dessert, but also a savory main dish. This bread pudding is cheesy, tasty and packed with flavors. Spinach, artichokes and swiss cheese with milk and eggs make this bread pudding delicious yet wholesome.
Kulfi is a very popular Indian ice cream. Kulfi comes in a variety of different flavors. Traditional kulfi is flavored with cardamom; this recipe is flavored with cardamom and almond.
Found this recipe in donna hay magazine, and I just happened to have all the ingredients this recipe called for. I did make a few changes and cook it differently. The frittata came out delicious, but next time I will cook it on the stove top first to give a nicely browed bottom, then broil at the last a few minutes.
Tomato Cucumber Sandwich has always been a favorite of mine. I remember I used to ask my mom to make them, when we used to go for picnics. She would lovingly make them and nicely wrap them in aluminim foil. They would not get mushy or moist, even after 3-4 hours.
These sandwiches can also be made for children’s school tiffin as well as wrapped and taken while travelling. However, its better to consume them within 4-5 hours.
It's a delicious savory bread pudding that's perfect for fall when it's the time for us to get lots of butternut squash. It's aslo a very tasty side dish or a vegetarian main course at Thanksgiving or Christmas time.
