What are some alternative uses for bread heels?
I often buy bread loaves at the store and use them for sandwiches, french toast, etc. I don't particularly like using the heels for those purposes though, because of the texture and taste - heels don't make for a good sandwich, they can't absorb the eggs for french toast, and they get way too crispy for regular toast (and don't soak up butter!). This means that I end up with dozens of leftover heels.
I hate throwing away food, so... what are some alternative uses? Is there any good use for leftover bread heels?
Best Answer
- Bread crumbs - dry them and grate them
- Bread dumplings - some recipes, like serviettenknödel, work well with crust (for softer heels)
- Crispbread - cut them into rectangles, and toast them for a long time in a low oven. use to serve cheese (for more chewy heels)
- Bread-thickened soups, such as sopa de ajo (for softer heels).
- Feed birds or ducks
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Quick Answer about "What are some alternative uses for bread heels?"
Crouton lover? Simply cut bread heels into cubes, drizzle with olive oil and your favorite seasonings, place in oven. Heels of bread are a great way to make breadcrumbs without having to go to the store — perfect for a baked chicken breading or to top off your mac and cheese for a gourmet touch.What can I do with leftover bread heels?
That way, they're right there when I need them.Do bread heels keep the loaf fresh?
Yes. The more crumb (soft inside part) is exposed to the air, the faster it will go stale. I often save the heels of the bread and use a toothpick to 'seal' it back to the main loaf to protect the crumb. To expand on this, bread is its own storage system.Why is the end of a loaf of bread called a heel?
The "heel" was the most popular response. About 517 (36.7%) of the responders called this slice "the heel," referring to the heel of a foot. Almost all of the Irish and Oklahoman responders used this term in the survey. The "skalk" was the term of choice for Norway.How do you use butt of bread?
12 Ways to Use the Heel from a Loaf of Bread:ZERO WASTE BREAD \
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Answer 2
Try making panzanella of some sort: stale, hard bread becomes quite nice if you chunk it up (I used a meat tenderizing mallet) and soak it in tomato, olive oil, basil, onion, etc. As you might expect, this is pretty versatile - we typically use whatever fresh herbs we have on hand, you can play with different types of oils and vinegars. 101 Cookbooks even had a rather interesting strawberry panzanella recipe I intend to try the next time our strawberries aren't immediately eaten fresh.
Answer 3
Think about what type of bread applications benefit from those qualities that you listed.
Take crouton for example. A lot of people enjoy croutons that are crunchy so the heel can be made into terrific croutons.
Answer 4
Put it in a container with brown sugar to keep the brown sugar soft or to soften it.
Answer 5
Use them to make bread pudding. You can add raisins and/or apples.
Receipe by Craig Claibourne published in the NYT Cook Book:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Scald (not boil) 3½ cups milk. While milk is heating, break bread heels into pieces, and place in a bowl. When milk is scalded, add add ¼ cup butter. When melted, pour over the bread heels that you have broken into pieces.
- Soak for 5 mins. While soaking, butter a baking dish.
- Add ½ cup sugar and 2 eggs. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace to taste. Add raisins, apples, or other dried fruit.
- Pour mixture into buttered backing dish and bake until knife comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Enjoy!
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