Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I hate wasting food. From planning what we eat to shopping and storing well, to using leftovers and the funny bits people don’t know what to do with – they’re all things that help reduce waste and save money. It is basically the stuff our great grandparents did without thinking but that many of us have never been taught. One of the easiest things you can do is to avoid wasting bread by storing it correctly, making breadcrumbs and learning how to use your breadcrumbs stash to make delicious meals.
A recent report from the Office for National Statistics estimated that 23 million slices of bread are thrown away in the UK every day. In the US 32% of all the bread that is produced is thrown away. Just think of all that wasted money, time, packaging, transport and landfill space. Plus all the energy that is wasted producing the ingredients for the bread. I can honestly say I never throw any bread away so here are the simple things I do to avoid waste, I hope they help you too.
Spread them out on a baking sheet and let them thaw overnight. If you prefer to use them direct from frozen then it may help to dry the breadcrumbs out a little before you freeze them.
What to do with the ends of loaves or odds and ends of unused bread
Instead of throwing ends of loaves/the odd half a naan bread or pitta away, just rip them into small chunks and put them in a bag in the freezer. You can use the chunks as croutons or make them into breadcrumbs. When the bag is full, grab it out, defrost it for an hour then whizz everything up in a food processor or Nutribullet. The crumbs can then be refrozen and used from frozen to add bulk and texture to all sorts of recipes. It doesn’t matter if you have different types of bread in there – breadcrumbs can be made from any bread.
If you are gluten-free, use good gluten-free bread.
How do you store your bread?
Lots of people keep bread in the fridge but the fridge actually makes bread go stale faster. Plus bread takes up so much space. Keep your bread in a container at room temperature, or even better keep it in the freezer. Because the freezer cools the bread more quickly and holds it there for longer, it doesn’t have the same effect as putting it int he fridge.
I keep our sliced loaves of bread in the freezer so it doesn’t get chance to go stale. I just toast it straight from the freezer or use the frozen bread to make sandwiches – that way they stay fresher until lunchtime.
When we have a loaf of proper sourdough, I keep it in a paper bag in the kitchen, slicing it as we use it. Real sourdough won’t go stale or get mouldy as the fermenting process helps kill off bacteria and mould. It may go a bit too dry for you to eat after a couple fo days, so just toast it, or slice it and freeze it for toast on another day.
How to Defrost Bread
FAQ
How do you defrost breadcrumbs quickly?
Can you use breadcrumbs from frozen?
Why should we store the bread crumbs in the freezer?
Do you have to freeze homemade breadcrumbs?
Can You defrost bread crumbs?
The simplest way to defrost breadcrumbs is by placing them in a container with hot water and microwaving for around 5 minutes. Then remove them from the microwave and allow them to cool down for about 20-30 minutes before using it. Can You Refreeze Bread Crumbs? Yes, you can refreeze bread crumbs, but only if they have not completely thawed yet.
Can you freeze thawed breadcrumbs?
Once thawed, breadcrumbs can be a little soft. If you want to use breadcrumbs to add texture then dry them out in the oven briefly to bring back their crispness. Once the bag of breadcrumbs has been in the freezer for 20 minutes, give them a quick shake before returning to the freezer. Repeat this after another 20 minutes.
How do you defrost bread?
Enjoy the bread as if it were freshly baked! To defrost a baked, yeast risen bread, take it out of the freezer and unwrap it completely. Place it on a sheet tray and loosely rewrap with plastic. Place the loaf in the fridge to thaw slowly overnight.
How do you Dry breadcrumbs?
You can dry them by turning the oven on, preheating to 150c and then turning it off. Place the breadcrumbs in the cooling oven for 30 minutes or so. This dry heat will dry them out perfectly. Breadcrumbs spiked with parsley, garlic, chilli or basil can take your breadcrumbs to a whole new level, adding a punch of flavour with very little effort.