Bread is a staple on our tables, used in Italian cuisine mainly as an accompaniment to the most delicious courses. Fragrant with an unmistakable smell, it can also be a precious and versatile ingredient for recipes that, especially nowadays, make the concept of food waste their reason for being. To avoid waste, when we buy too much bread or make a lot of it with practical Ariete bread makers, we can easily reuse it even if it's too hard to bite into. Just as our grandparents used to do. Dry bread is in fact very useful in the kitchen, even for dishes worthy of a true chef. So, let's discover how to use stale bread in the kitchen in many delicious recipes, and what tools to use so that not even a single crumb goes to waste.

Stale Bread: Recycling Bread with Ariete's Gratì

Before understanding how to use stale bread in extraordinary recipes that can delight the palates of the whole family, let's start with the basics. The most classic method for recycling dry bread is to grate it to obtain breadcrumbs. Nothing is easier with Ariete's Gratì, the ultimate rechargeable electric grater, now offered in many different variations that reinterpret a timeless classic to meet the needs of a modern lifestyle. Much loved by Italians for its functionality, design, and innovative character, Gratì is the right tool not only for grating stale bread but also cheese, dried fruit, and chocolate.

To get perfect breadcrumbs, you must remember that the bread to be used must be completely dry and free of moisture. Typically after 3 or 4 days, bread stored in a paper bag is already dry, but to be sure, just dry it in an already hot Ariete electric oven for 5 minutes, after cutting it into rather large—and even irregular—cubes. Gratì will do the rest of the work, considering that with just the press of a finger, you can grate everything from stale bread to the hardest and most resistant foods.

The breadcrumbs can also be flavored. Just prepare 250 g of breadcrumbs and add a mix of 4 sage leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme, and 2 sprigs of rosemary. Spices can be added as desired, according to your taste. The delicious mixture obtained can be easily stored in an airtight container or directly in the bread bag. You can create numerous recipes with breadcrumbs, such as classic coatings, but it is also suitable for absorbing the water released from baked goods or for preventing cakes from sticking to the mold.

How to Use Stale Bread: Ariete's Tips

The history of Italian cuisine has its roots in the simplest traditions, such as that of stale bread, reused from north to south in many regional recipes or in true modern interpretations. Below are some tips on how to use stale bread at home:

• With stale bread that's a few days old, you can bring a different dinner to the table than usual. Take two slices of bread to create a small sandwich—for example, ham and mozzarella, or cheese and tomatoes—dip it in seasoned egg with salt, and fry it using an Ariete fryer for a few minutes. Just as we are used to doing with classic "mozzarella in carrozza."
• Dry bread can also be used to prepare meatballs or meatloaf. Not only for the coating by first turning it into breadcrumbs, but also by combining it with other ingredients, such as milk, eggs, ground pepper, parsley, salt, and Parmesan cheese. Stale bread recycled in this way will make the meatballs softer and more flavorful.
• Another easy and quick tip is to cut bread slices into small pieces to fry in boiling oil to get crispy croutons to flavor soups and creamy purees.
• With stale bread, we can also prepare panzanella, a simple Tuscan traditional dish, to which you add onion, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Or the Pugliese pancotto, with bread, cabbage, and potatoes.
• Finally, we can reuse stale bread for tasty and delicious bruschettas, to be served as an appetizer, simply by toasting slices of bread in the oven for a few minutes. It can be used even more simply for French toast, which is very easy to prepare with Ariete's electric ovens and air fryers.