13 inventive ways to use up stale bread

There's no need to bin your shop-bought baguette or freshly baked loaf when it starts to get slightly stale. There are plenty of ways to put it to good use instead, from breadcrumbs to croutons, and stuffing to bread and butter pudding.

Bread and butter pudding
(Image credit: Future)

There's no need to bin your shop-bought baguette or freshly baked loaf when it starts to get slightly stale. There are plenty of ways to put it to good use instead, from breadcrumbs to croutons, and stuffing to bread and butter pudding.

Not sure what to do with that stale loaf of bread sitting in your bread bin? Don't worry, we're here to inspire!

There's no need to bin your shop-bought baguette or freshly baked loaf when it starts to get slightly stale. There are plenty of ways to put it to good use instead, from breadcrumbs to croutons, and stuffing to bread and butter pudding.

We really do hate waste here at goodtoknow, so we're always looking for weird and wonderful ways to make the most of leftovers. So, if you're about to bin that bread hold your horses and have a look through this collection of 13 inventive ways to use up a stale loaf. We're sure you'll find something to inspire!

Click through to see what you can make with your stale bread...

Breadcrumbs

One of the easiest things to do with your stale bread is to turn it into breadcrumbs. This can be done by hand or quickly done by food processor. Once you've made your breadcrumbs you can use it to coat fish, to make crumble mix or sprinkle on top of your pasta bake before baking.

How to make breadcrumbs

More breadcrumb recipes:

Bread and butter pudding

Bread and butter pudding

(Image credit: Future)

We just love bread and butter pudding, don't you? It's a classic that we would happily rustle up time and time again to enjoy straight after our Sunday roast. The best kind of bread to use in this pudding is the stale kind, as it's firm and won't get soggy when cooked!

How to make classic bread and butter pudding

More bread and butter pudding recipes:

Garlic bread

Garlic bread

So, you bought a baguette at the weekend, it's now Tuesday and the baguette is looking a little sorry for itself - don't bin it! Turn it into garlic bread instead. The garlic butter, along with re-heating your bread in the oven, will make it soft again.

How to make garlic bread

More garlic bread recipes:

Meatballs

Meatballs

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

Did you know that most meatball recipes use bread in the mix? Just crumble up your stale bread using your fingertips or food processor and mix into your favourite meatball recipe to make them extra dense. They'll also absorb the sauce far better thanks to the bread!

How to make meatballs

More meatball recipes:

  • Get the recipe: Lamb meatballs
  • Get the recipe: Pork meatballs with pitta
  • French toast

    French toast

    French toast is another ingenious way to use up stale bread. It's such a simpe idea that will make your Saturday morning one to remember. Dip your stale bread in a sweet eggy mixture and cook on a frying pan. Drizzle in maple syrup and enjoy!

    How to make French toast

    More French toast recipes:

    Stuffing

    Stuffing

    Make your roast dinner extra special this week by whipping up a hearty side of stuffing. Not only is it a treat come Sunday lunch, it's also a great way of using up a few slices of your stale loaf. Once you've made stuffing from scratch, you'll never look at the readymade packet mix the same way again!

    How to make sage and onion stuffing

    More stuffing recipes:

    Jessica Dady
    Food Editor

    Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies