97. Bread that has become stale need not be wasted, for there are many
uses to which it may be put. As such bread has lost much of its
moisture, it is desirable for toast, for it browns more quickly and
makes crisper toast than fresh bread. Thick slices of it may also be cut
into cubes or long, narrow strips and then toasted on all sides, to be
served with soup instead of crackers. Still another use that can be made
of stale bread is to toast it and then cut it into triangular pieces to
be served with creamed dishes or used as a garnish for meats, eggs, and
various entrées. Left-over toast may also be cut in this way and used
for these purposes.
98. The ends of loaves, crusts trimmed from bread used for sandwiches,
or stale bread or rolls that cannot be used for the purposes that have
been mentioned can also be utilised, so none of them need be thrown
away. If such pieces are saved and allowed to dry thoroughly in the
warming oven or in an oven that is not very hot, they may be broken into
crumbs by putting them through a food chopper or rolling them with a
rolling pin. After the crumbs are obtained, they should be put through a
coarse sieve in order to separate the coarse ones from the fine ones.
Such crumbs, both coarse and fine, may be kept for some time if they are
put into jars or cans.
It is a very good plan to keep a supply of bread crumbs on hand, for
there are numerous dishes that require the use of bread in this form.
For instance, bread crumbs are used for all kinds of scalloped dishes;
for making puddings, such as bread pudding, brown Betty, etc.; for
stuffing fish, fowl, and such vegetables as tomatoes and peppers; for
covering the top of baked dishes, such as various egg and cheese dishes;
for breading steaks and chops; and for covering croquettes or oysters
that are to be fried. They may also be added to muffins, griddle cakes,
and even yeast-bread dough. With so many uses to which bread crumbs can
be put, no housewife need be at a loss to know how to utilise any scraps
of bread that are not, for some reason, suitable for the table.
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