What to do with stale bread: 15 uses for leftover bread
7 min read time
08 October 2025
Whether you’ve baked your favorite homemade bread or stopped at a local bakery for a fresh loaf, you may eventually end up with some stale slices even if you stored the bread properly. Don’t worry, though—you can bring stale bread back to life by repurposing it for a variety of flavor-filled recipes. If you’re wondering what to do with stale bread, this guide offers creative ways to incorporate it into meals so not even a crumb goes to waste.
What to do with stale bread: 15 uses for leftover bread
What can you make with stale bread?
There are many ways to use stale bread in recipes, including French onion soup or grinding stale bread into savory breadcrumbs for meatballs or stuffed bell peppers. Satisfy a sweet tooth with French toast with apples and pecan or a dessert like bread pudding and Apple Brown Betty. You can also make herbed croutons for soups and salads.
15 Stale bread recipes
Experiment with different types of bread, such as homemade sourdough or the complex flavors of rye to add a depth of flavor to your culinary creations. Read on for leftover bread recipe ideas that can help expand the uses of old bread.
1. Breadcrumbs
A KitchenAid® Food Grinder Attachment1 with a stand mixer can turn hardened leftover bread into breadcrumbs. If your bread isn’t hard, you’ll want to dry it out first in your oven and then feed it through the grinder, along with any additional flavorings like dried herbs or hard cheese, to enhance your recipe.
You can also make homemade breadcrumbs by placing chunks of stale bread into a KitchenAid® food processor and pulsing to your desired texture. Finish drying the breadcrumbs by spreading them on a sheet pan and baking them at 300°F for about 15 minutes. Then consider adding herbs and spices for a custom blend of seasonings
1. Sold separately.
2. Croutons
For homemade croutons, simply cut old bread into 1-inch cubes and season them with your favorite oil, such as olive oil, and flavorful spices, herbs and even grated cheese. Place the croutons on a baking sheet and bake at 400℉ for about 15 minutes or until the bread turns crunchy.
3. French toast
To make a delicious French toast breakfast with fillings and toppings that are either sweet or savory like ham and Swiss, you can use leftover bread.
4. Strata
A mouthwatering strata can be made by layering day-old bread into veggies, meats and cheese, topping it with an egg and milk mixture and baking it in the oven. A savory bread pudding is also considered a strata.
5. Casserole
You can turn your leftover bread into another hearty breakfast by baking a sweet French toast casserole or a savory casserole with meat, veggies and cheese.
6. Crostini
To help revive bread’s chewy interior texture and create a crunchy exterior, simply toast or broil thin slices to make crostini. Serve it with piping hot soup or top it with your favorite spread or other flavorful ingredients.
7. Bruschetta
Similar to a crostini, toast your stale bread, but top it with fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil to create bruschetta—an appetizer bursting with the flavors of summer.
8. Meatballs
Served as an appetizer or main entree, meatballs are a classic comfort food that calls for adding breadcrumbs to help hold the shape of the meatball together.
9. Grilled cheese
Toasting up leftover bread to a golden crispness with oozing, melted cheese can turn it into a gourmet sandwich.
10. Garlic bread
Homemade garlic bread is easy
to make and can add a dimension of flavor to delectable pasta dishes and fragrant soups.
11. Panzanella
Panzanella is a versatile chopped salad that can be made with a variety of fresh veggies, yet uses stale bread as one of the key ingredients
12. Ribollita
Leftover bread adds a creaminess to this soup that’s made with nourishing vegetables to create a richly-flavored one-pot meal.
13. Stuffing
Traditionally a popular side dish during the holidays, stuffing ingredients can be customized to the season and served year-round.
14. Gratin
A gratin is a tasty side dish topped with either cheese or breadcrumbs and butter that crisps up with a golden topping once it’s baked or broiled.
15. Mac and cheese
Top mac and cheese, or any baked pasta, with golden breadcrumbs and you get a mouthwatering crunch along with soft, gooey deliciousness.
What can you do with stale sourdough bread?
Once toasted, stale sourdough bread can add a twist of flavor when topped with cured meats, cheeses and spreads from an elegant charcuterie board. You can also add it to a tasty breakfast casserole, serve sourdough stuffing with roasted chicken or prepare a homemade spread to use on crisp toast.
What should you do with leftover french bread?
Leftover French bread can be used in a variety of recipes, from sweet to savory. Bake it for breakfast to indulge in a spice-filled French toast, make a crostini and spread it with a tangy mousse, add savory croutons to tomato soup or grill your stale bread and spread it with an adventurous bruschetta
What can you do with leftover hamburger buns?
You can substitute leftover hamburger or hot dog buns in any recipe that calls for stale bread. Try it in French toast or a sweet tart tartin. Also use it with panini or grilled cheese sandwiches, bake it with a savory strata, or use it as breadcrumbs in meatloaf or Italian meatballs.
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