Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-06-07
UTILIZING STALE BREAD
Item Most Commonly Wasted in
Many American Households.
Great Variety Of Ways in which II
Can he Used OF Treated So
As to Restore Fresh.
ness.


monty wasted in many American house,
holds. say the specialists Of the United
States department of agriculture. This
waste Is probably due to the fact that
many housekeepers do not think of bread
as costing much and are careless about
its use or do not know what to do with
the odds and ends frequently found in the
bread box.
Good. fresh bread has a spongy texture
which in time disappears, leaving the
bread dry and crumbly. the moisture
gradually passing out through the crust.
Bread a little too stale to be appetzng,
but not yet hard. may be freshened by
putting 1t into the oven for few minutes
The heat seems to drive the moisture
from the crust back into the center of
the loaf, making the crust more crisp
and the crumb little more spongy. Some
housekeepers moisten the surface of the
bread and sometimes cover IL before put
ting It into the oven, but others think
that moistening Injuries the texture Of
the crust without improving the crumb
Rolls or biscuits which have a greater
surface in proportion to their size, dry
out more rapidly than losves Of bread
It Is good planning, therefore, not to pro-
vide more than will be used at meal Or
at least a day after Baking. For similar
reasons. bread stays fresh longer in the
loaf than after II Is sliced. No more than
will be needed should be cut for any one
meal and one loaf should be used UP be-
fore the next is cut into. When the bread
needs freshening 1t is a coed plan to cut
the required slices and put them into the
oven for a few minutes Just before serv-
ing.
TOAST.
Toast Is another form in which partly
stale bread can be made attractive. In
many families it is served only for break
fast. luncheon. or supper. but the custom
which many high grade restaurants have
adopted Of serving thin, crisp hot toast
with the more substantial meals might
we'll be followed at home. Such dishes
as chopped meat with gravy. creamed
chicken or fish, poached eggs, melted
cheese. cooked asparagus. Swiss chard.
baked tomatoes. etc, are served very
commonly on toast. Cream or milk toast
Chat is. toast with a cream sauce or milk
gravy. perhaps favored with a very little
Clipped beef, salt fish, or other savory)
may be used as the main dish at break
fast. luncheon. or supper. Slices of toast
may also be dipped in water or milk and
beaten egg. and lightly Drowned on hot
creased pan. The recipe for this dish,
which is called by various names. is given
in the appended recipes under the head
ing Egg Toast" 1t may be used at
breakfast. and has the advantage of
making the eggs "go further" than If used
in separate dish. or it may be served
with cinnamon and sugar, syrup, or any
sweet sauce for dessert.
AS A BREAKFAST FOOD.
Another good way Of using stale bread
or Of treating bread so that it shall not
kA nNAl~
warming oven or on the back Of the
stove and leave them until they are crisp
and a delicate brown throughout. This
Is often called twice-baked bread and Is
very popular with children and also with
grown-ups who like its ''crunchiness" and
the flavor which comes with the slight
browning. The rusks which used to be
commonly served like breakfast cereals
in some parts Of the country were made
by crushing such twice-baked bread with
Ia rolling pin.
CRUMBS VALUABLE IN COOKERY.
There is nothing new In the idea Of
using bread crumbs in cookery and most
lhousekeepers are in the habit of having
some on hand for use In scalloped dishes.
stuffing for meat, puddings. etc. Few
realize, however. how much more gen.
orally they might be utilized. Many COM
extent as a substitute for the -four in
many sorts of cakes cookies, buildings.
etc Crumbs may also be used instead Of
flour and starch for thickening soups and
sauces.
Any bits of bread which can not be
eaten on the table should be saved and
crumbed for use in cooking. Some house,
keepers keep two kinds on hand: one.
stale crumbs made chiefly from the inside
of the loaf and suitable for use in the
place Of -four. and dried crumbs made
from any part of the bread Drowned a
little In very slow oven and crushed
fine to be used in scalloped dishes. for
the coating of croquettes or other fried
foods. or wherever crusty. fine crumb
Is needed To prevent their growing
musty crumbs should be kept in dry. air
tight containers. Fruit Jars are often
convenient for the purpose.
HOW TO UTILIZE QUICK BREADS.
Yeast-made bread is by no means the
only bread that can be utilized in some
of the ways suggested. The quick breads
raised by baking powder. soda. and sour
quickly than the yeast bread. probably
because the water is not so thoroughly
Incorporated with the -four during the
making. These breads can not be fresh
ened simply by putting in the oven like
yeast raised bread. Quick biscuit. how
ever. make delicious toast which Is very
lconvenient for serving under meats. eggs.
| etc. The crumbs made from them may
also be used in other breads. cakes. and
buildings, as may also corn bread and
cake crumbs wherever their flavor is not
Objectionable Boston brown bread
toasted and served with cream sauce
Is a delicious dish for supper or break
fast. Toasted rye bread is also good.
Crackers, which are practically dried
bread baked in different shapes. and
which may lose their crispness If kept
exposed when the air is moist. can be
freshened or made crisp by putting into
the oven. The crumbs made from them
serve many of the purposes of dried bread
crumbs. A number of recipes for using
leftover bread follow:
STALE BREAD RECIPES.
| VEGETABLE SOUP THICKENED
WITH BREAD CRUMBS,
One quart skim milk, one cup bread
salt small amount spinach or outer
leaves lettuce mot more than four
ounces). one small slice onion.
Cut the vegetables into small pieces
and cook with the bread crumbs in the
milk in a double boiler, II large guam
tity is being prepared. as in a school
lunch room. for example. put the vege-
tables through a meat chopper In this
case slices of bread may be ground with
the vegetables, in order to absorb the
juice.
PANCAKES.
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