Where would we be without bread? Whether it’s toast and jam for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch or a hunk of bread with soup in the evening, bread plays a large part of most meals. And, of course, when it comes to buying bread, there are hundreds of different types to choose from the traditional sliced loaf, Italian ciabattas or French baguettes to flatbreads, bagels and rolls. But it’s easy to fall into a rut, always buying the same loaf week in, week out. So, why not add some interest to your meals by experimenting with something new?
Super sandwiches
If you make a packed lunch for work or school, it can become a little uninspiring to make the same kind of sandwiches every day. But there’s no reason why your filling should sit in between two slices of rectangular bread. Try something new by slicing and filling croissants or pittas, or experiment with different breads such as sourdough, pumpernickel or rye.
Make your own
Of course, it’s super-convenient to buy a loaf of bread at the supermarket. But it is so much more satisfying to make your own. If you own a bread machine, you can knock up a whole host of different loaves easily. If you don’t have a machine but love spending time in the kitchen, you can always make bread the traditional way.
If you want to make bread in a hurry, there are many recipes that take only minutes to make. Soda bread is one of the quickest options as it needs just a few ingredients and doesn’t require yeast. Flatbreads are also a great choice when you are in a hurry and can be served with a multitude of different dishes.
Inspiring evening meals
Often, we see bread as an accompaniment to a meal, added at the last minute. But why not make bread the star of the show and base the rest of your meal around your chosen bread? You could serve some delicious flatbreads and let everyone add their own toppings to create a quick and easy pizza-style dish. Or place a large homemade loaf in the centre of the table with a range of pâtés and dips to share.
Leftover bread
Of course, no matter how much you love bread, there will always be times when you have leftovers. Don’t leave them to go mouldy; there are lots of ways you can use up leftover bread. Here are some suggestions:
- Croutons for soup – Remove the crusts from stale bread and coat with melted butter before cutting into cubes. Then pop the cubes onto a baking tray in a moderate oven for 15 minutes or until golden and crunchy.
- Bread and Butter Pudding – This traditional pud is a great way to use up stale bread and tastes delicious with cream or custard. Look online for a range of delicious recipes.
- Breadcrumbs – Great for creating coatings and crunchy toppings; many of us buy breadcrumbs from the supermarket but it’s so easy to make your own. Just pop slices of bread into a low oven to dry out. Then whizz in a food processor until you get the right consistency of crumb. You can even store the breadcrumbs in the freezer until you need them.