Ideas and recipes, please, on what to with leftover bread. I freeze the crusts and other left over bits of bread. Now have rather a lot. Thank you 😊
Make a Maltese bread pudding. Mine is the simplest: just soak the bread in milk, squeeze dry, and then add cocoa, candied fruit, vine fruit, jam, and if you like it, anisette. The mixture should not be runny, but not stiff, either. Bake until a crust forms at the top, and a knife comes out clean when you put it into the pudding.
Bread has little nutritional value for birds. They will eat it but there are much better foods we can give. Some larger birds like ducks should not be given bread. I know, I used to do it until it was explained to me and I checked for myself.
I always freeze any bread I buy and take out the slices as and when required because I mostly toast the bread. If I want sandwiches I just defrost the amount of bread slices I need so never any waste.
Bread crumbs that have been toasted lightly on a dry frying pan can be used instead of grated parmesan cheese on pasta dishes. You can make a large quantity and store it in the fridge in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
The best bread and butter pudding I have ever had was in France where they soak the raisins in brandy first and add the juice to the mixture. Add some lemon and or orange zest, a dash of vanilla essence and continue as we do here. You can splash more Brandy on the bread as well. Delicious warm, not hot, or at room temperature with a cup of tea in the afternoon.
I love the use of alcohol in cooking generally. A spash of brandy or rum can elevate a dish. I buy the cheap brandy in Waitrose or Lidl.
Croutons! Can be flavoured with herbs or garlic powder. Baking them in the oven having tossed in just a little olive oil is probably healthier than frying when more oil is needed. Better with white bread but I do make them with brown/wholemeal.