Here at Good Food there's always a spare loaf lying around. We've become experts at using up every last slice of bread so for Food Waste Action Week we thought we'd share some of our favourite ways of using up slightly sad bread.
Panzanella - The classic Tuscan bread salad - where slightly stale bread is used to soak up the delicious juices of ripe tomatoes and olive oil.
Try this one from Jamie Oliver. Use the most exciting tomatoes you can find and don't skimp on the olive oil!
Ricotta and Rosemary Bread Pudding - An unorthodox savoury main course that soaks sourdough in a rich herby, savoury custard - a great vegetarian show-stopper.
It's a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe, but not overly complex. It's substantial and savoury and needs nothing but a green salad on the side.
Glamorgan Sausages - You'll have to get out the food processor or blender to whizz up some breadcrumbs, but this classic Welsh treat is the finest use for breadcrumbs there is.
Here they are... Don't be shy with the mustard. You can use any cheese you have to hand. Caerphilly feels the most authentic, but I prefer something a bit stronger.
Bread Pudding - Not to be confused with bread and butter pudding, this is a stodgy, fruity slab of deliciousness that will take you back to the old fashioned bakery your mum took you to when you were 5 years old.
This is the St John Recipe. Of course they serve it with ice cream and butterscotch sauce, but it will be delicious on its own if you don't want the extra work... And use whatever dry fruit you have around, don't feel like you need the exact mix they have.
Bread and Butter Pudding - The classic British pudding is a tried and true way of using up leftover bread and is really simple. Just butter bread, whisk eggs and cream together and Bob's your uncle.
Here's a recipe from Gordon Ramsay (feel free to lower the number of eggs for a slightly less rich custard). You can add anything you want to it - marmalade or chocolate chips are favourites.
French Toast - A brunch favourite - the best thing about it is how easy it is to adjust for different numbers, you can easily rustle yourself up some for a solitary self-care breakfast or feed a crowd if your pan is big enough!
Here's a nice simple version, just eggs, milk and a little spice. Top with fruit, syrup and more cinnamon - or express yourself with whatever you feel like.
Summer Pudding - The beauty of stale bread is how well is soaks up flavours. You can't beat it soaked in sweet red fruit juices, with a hearty dollop of very thick cream.
You can trust Delia for these old English staples. Normally I'd say to use whatever bread you have going spare, but for summer pudding I think it really has to be white bread - the wholemeally ones are too sturdy and won't absorb the juices well enough.