In the interests of sustainability and with prices constantly rising, we hate throwing away food. Whether for breakfast, a quick lunch or a small snack – bread is one of the most consumed foods in Germany. But did you know that around 500,000 tons of bread waste is produced in Germany every year? Pretty much, isn’t it? So that the leftover bread doesn’t end up in the trash the next time, we’ve made some clever tips for you and explain how you can recycle old bread. Whether delicious bread dumplings, a casserole or a bread pudding – the possibilities are really endless.
Make flour from stale bread
Here’s a great idea from France on how to use up stale bread. In the neighboring country, throwing away food has been officially prohibited by law since 2016. No wonder bakers have gotten more creative and started turning stale bread into flour. You can also use it to bake lots of delicacies, such as biscuits, focaccia, etc. And the best? Anyone can turn stale bread into flour in less than 5 minutes. It’s that easy:
- Cut the stale bread into bite-sized pieces and then finely grind in a blender. And your homemade flour from stale bread is ready!
Bake brownies from stale bread
But that’s what we call leftover recycling at its finest! After all, there’s hardly anyone who could resist a piece of brownie, right?
Ingredients:
- 100 grams of flour from stale bread
- 150 grams of dark chocolate
- 30 grams of cocoa powder
- 80 grams of granulated sugar
- 2 Owner
- 80 grams of coconut oil
- 1 TL Vanilleextrakt
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a square baking tin with baking paper.
- Melt the chocolate in a water bath or in the microwave.
- In a bowl, whisk together the melted chocolate, eggs, coconut oil, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the bread flour and cocoa powder and mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes.
- And voilà – it’s that easy to make brownies from stale bread!
Use old bread: The best dumpling recipe
How could we use stale bread to make something delicious? By making dumplings out of stale bread, of course! Add a light fennel salad with oranges and you have the perfect dinner!
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- 300 grams of stale bread
- 1 medium onion, diced small
- 2 Owner
- 200ml milk
- 120 grams of breadcrumbs or breadcrumbs
- 1 EL Butter
- A pinch of nutmeg
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Cut the bread into small pieces and mix with the eggs and milk in a large bowl. Leave for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat butter in a pan over medium-high heat and sauté onions for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add the onions to the bread mixture, mix well and leave to stand for 5-7 minutes.
- Season to taste and form small dumplings with your hands.
- Roll in the breadcrumbs and then cook in boiling water for about 15 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Banana bread pudding with chocolate
And here’s a great recipe for using old bread to conjure up a super delicious dessert! Full of flavor, quick to make and really tasty – this banana bread pudding will definitely delight everyone!
Ingredients for 8 servings:
- 600 grams of stale bread, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 Owner
- 400ml milk
- 200 grams of sugar
- 2 bananas, cut into small pieces
- 100 grams of dark chocolate
- 1 TL Vanilleextrakt
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a square casserole dish with baking paper.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
- Fold in the bread, bananas and chocolate, mix well and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and bake for about 50 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Hearty bread casserole with ham and cheese
Classic ham and cheese sandwich with a difference! Perfect for a quick and easy weeknight lunch or dinner, this hearty bread casserole is a great way to use up stale bread.
Ingredients for 9-10 servings:
- 350 grams of stale bread, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 100 grams shallots, finely diced
- 120 grams of ham, cut into thin strips
- 140 grams cheddar cheese, grated
- 10 Owner
- 400ml milk
- 200 grams of cream
- 20 ml olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté shallots for 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk and cream in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the bread in the casserole dish and pour the egg mixture over it.
- Top with shallots, ham and 100 grams of cheddar and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for about 1 hour.
Use old bread: French toast casserole
Do you love french toast? If so, then you should definitely try this French toast casserole! We tried the recipe over the weekend and everyone loved it.
Ingredients for 8-10 minutes:
- 350 grams of stale bread, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 200 grams of brown sugar
- 450 ml milk
- 6 Owner
- 110 Gramm Butter
- 20 grams of maple syrup
- 1 EL Vanille extract
Preparation:
- Heat the sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
- Lightly grease a casserole dish with butter and pour in the sugar mixture.
- Spread bread on it in one layer.
- Whisk together the milk, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a bowl and pour over the bread.
- Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and leave for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and sprinkle the casserole with a sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes until golden brown and your delicious French toast casserole for breakfast is ready!
Italian Bread Soup
Take a culinary journey with us and try our recipe for Italian bread soup. Hearty, comforting and only 330 calories per serving – it’s a dream come true.
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- 1 medium onion, diced small
- 2 cans of 400 grams diced tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped small
- 6 slices of stale bread
- 300 ml vegetable broth
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- olive oil
- Fresh parsley for sprinkling
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and sauté onions and garlic cloves for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock, bring to the boil and reduce the heat.
- Season with salt, pepper and paprika powder and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- In the meantime brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil and grill in a grill pan for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.
- Break the bruschette into large pieces and add to the pot.
- Remove the pot from the stove and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with parsley and your Italian bread soup is ready.
Use old bread: make croutons yourself
Homemade croutons are arguably one of the easiest ways to use up stale bread! Whether as an accompaniment to a creamy potato soup or for an Italian panzanella salad – croutons can be used in many different ways in the kitchen and give a wide variety of dishes a wonderfully crunchy touch. Simply cut the old bread into pieces, drizzle with olive oil or melted butter and stir-fry in either the oven or in a pan.