Zero-Waste Bread Hacks from Burnham Bakery
The zero-food-waste movement is certainly having a moment in the spotlight. And for good reason - it’s estimated that Australian’s throw away 4.06 million tonnes of food every year. AKA: too much waste for the world to handle. One of the main culprits of excess waste is, you guessed it, bread. But never fear! There are plenty of ways to minimise your wastage and maximise the life of your humble loaf.
1. Store your bread properly
The best way to make sure your bread lives a long and happy life is to treat her right. Do not store your bread in the fridge; it will dry out and turn stale. Burnham Bread, which is preservative-free, won’t live as long as nasty supermarket bread. Our top tip is to store your loaf in a paper bag. The paper will extract any excess moisture and prevent the crust from going rubbery.
2. Freeze your loaf
Slice it up. Wrap it up. Bring the temperature down. When you’re ready for toast, simply pop a frozen slice into your toaster for an extra minute.
3. Make Breadcrumbs
This one works particularly well for bread that’s gone a bit stale. Slice or tear into pieces, and dry it out on a low heat in the oven. Once firm, remove from the oven and blitz your bits until they form a crumby-consistency. Our favourite recipe is this pork and fennel stuffing by Shannon Bennett.
4. Bread and Butter Pudding
Use our Brioche and Butter Pudding recipe (which you can find here) but rather than using brioche, sub in your leftover bread!
5. Cook up some Croutons
DIY croutons for the perfect Caesar. Brush both sides of your leftover sliced bread with olive oil, cut into small squares, and toast in the oven until golden and crunchy.