Knead to know

Bread has been a much-loved and cost-effective staple in our diets since the dawn of agriculture. Yet, even though we love the loaf, bread is one of the most commonly wasted foods worldwide. 

With a seemingly short shelf life, bread makes up a large slice of our household food waste – with an estimated 220,000 tonnes of bread and bakery items going uneaten in households across Australia each year. 

Throughout the COVID-19 restrictions, we have seen many of you rising to the occasion and making delicious bread from scratch – my go-to recipe over the past few months has to be Turkish flatbread! 

This month we will be championing the nation’s unsung crumb and sharing a selection of inspirational recipes for you to get your bake-on at home, as well as knead-to-know facts, hacks and exciting news about ways you can love food and hate waste.

Thank you to everyone that took part in last month’s Food for Thought poll about the content you would like to see more of. With 69% of participations voting for more waste-free recipes, we have listened to you and will be featuring more tasty meal ideas to help make your produce go further and last longer.

As always, please share your creations with us, as well as any useful and time-saving hacks you can’t live without. You can find all our recipes featured this month in full below.

Happy baking!

Thanks,
Holly Simpson
Love Food Hate Waste

#KneadToKnow

Recipes

Crouton Crazy

Homemade croutons are the perfect crunchy addition to a favourite salad, plus a great way to use up leftover bread that you have in your kitchen (including gluten-free). 

Don’t bin it, bake it using whatever flavouring you might be craving, however large or small, soft or crispy, plain or seasoned as you like. 

Ingredients:
•    ½  loaf sliced bread
•    1/2 tbs salt
•    1 tsp garlic powder
•    1 tsp oregano
•    3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
•    2 tbs olive oil (to grease tray)

Method:
1.    Pre heat the oven to 170 degrees (fan forced)
2.    Slice bread into 1cm cubes (include the stray smaller pieces, they will just be extra crunchy!)
3.    Place the bread into a large mixing bowl. Add in the oil, salt, garlic and oregano, mix to combine and coat.
4.    Add olive oil to baking tray and line with bread (may need two trays) and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. 
5.    Allow to completely cool, serve immediately or store in an airtight zip lock bag or container.

For some more inspiration on using your croutons, see the recipe here: Leafy greens, crisp onion and parmesan salad

French Toast! Oui Oui!

Lost bread, Bombay toast, eggy or gypsy bread? French toast is a much-loved breakfast treat for those with a sweet tooth. Whether you choose honey, Greek yoghurt, icing sugar or fruit, you can top your toast with almost anything! 

For more delicious French toast recipes that use up leftover bread, fruit, preserves or sweet sauces, click here: French toast

Ingredients:
•    2 eggs
•    4 slices of stale bread 
•    1 tsp vanilla extract paste
•    ½ tsp cinnamon
•    20g butter
•    1 punnet of strawberries
•    2 tbs Greek yogurt (for service)
•    1 tbs chia seeds (for service)
•    Drizzle of honey (for service)

Method:
1.    In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla extract to combine
2.    Submerge each slice of bread in the bowl, ensuring both sides are well-coated
3.    Heat a pan on medium heat, add butter
4.    Turn down to a low heat. Place slices of bread in a pan and cook until each side is golden brown
5.    Serve with yoghurt, strawberries and honey

The Beauty of Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are a simple and tasty topper to your favourite pasta, salads and soup dishes, and provide the perfect coating for fried meats and veggies. If you have leftover bread and herbs, breadcrumbs really are your bestie!

For more ways to create your favourite crumb, go to: How to make breadcrumbs
 
Recipe: 
•    1 loaf stale sliced bread
•    ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped 
•    ¼ cup fine grated parmesan cheese 
•    1 tsp salt 
•    1 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves of fresh garlic crushed 
•    2 tbs olive oil 
Optional: Mix up the spices to add your own flavour