What About the Bread? Bread is controversial in the U.S. because some people are gluten-sensitive, and some others simply prefer to avoid white flour. I love bread, but honestly, most of the bread in the U.S. is not good, so gluten-sensitive or not, I agree we can skip most of it. If you like bread too and can find “good” bread, here are some tips to get the most out of it.
It’s well known that the French love bread too. Most French people “can’t” eat a meal without it. My husband Pierre, who is French, certainly cannot. We don’t eat large quantities of bread at dinner, but having a small piece or two to use as a tool to help organize the food on our plate and mop up sauces or olive oil is a must for us. And, of course, to enjoy the French cheese course at the end of a meal.
Every night before we sit down to dinner, Pierre asks, “Is the bread ready?” If it’s not ready, we aren’t ready to eat. The funny thing is that it is his “job“ to warm the bread, and he usually forgets. Getting the “bread ready” is an ongoing comedy at my house—more about that in a Dinner Story for another time. Today, I want to give you some tips on finding and saving your “good” bread.
Finding good bread is not as easy in the U.S. as it is in France. By “good,” I mean bread that is, first of all, made with flour that is free from glyphosate and, second, that is light and easy to digest—and it will be if it is made with quality ingredients. If you can find good bread, here are some tips to make the most of it.
We are fortunate to have a French bakery about 15 miles from our house. They make the bread with French flour and yeast, and it is even better than some of the bread I’ve had in France. It’s a remarkable bakery but a bit out of the way. So, to make a trip manageable, we go once every week or two and buy several baguettes and loaves of bread. Then we store them in the freezer, which is why we have to get the “bread ready” every day.
“Somebody” has to get the bread from the freezer and put it in the oven at 200° F so it can thaw, become warm and crusty, and then be ready for dinner. It’s not much effort, but since “someone” often forgets, it usually delays dinner by five minutes. Other than my personal bread dilemmas, this is an easy system for having great bread on hand.
I cherish bread and try not to let a morsel or crumb go to waste. To get the most out of it, I cut the baguettes and loaves into serving sizes for dinner and freeze them.
I revive the second—or third-day-old bread by rubbing it with water or milk and heating it in the oven on low for a few minutes. The bread will bounce back to freshness, but you must eat it right away, or it will harden again. Then, it’s time for croutons and breadcrumbs.
I use semi-stale bread to make croutons, and I freeze them.
I also grate really stale bread to make breadcrumbs, and I freeze those too.
Homemade croutons and breadcrumbs on hand are must-have ingredients in my kitchen, ever since I realized what was in the commercially made options. Read some labels, and you’ll see a long list of chemical preservatives. I’m perplexed when I see over 30 ingredients listed on a label for breadcrumbs when they are merely “breadcrumbs.”
Both homemade croutons and breadcrumbs not only taste better but are easier to digest than their commercial counterparts. In the end, the small effort is worth it for me, and I don’t waste any of the precious bread that we drove out of the way and paid good money for.
If you can find a bakery but it’s out of the way from home, remember it’s worth the trip to buy your bread and make croutons and breadcrumbs, too.
By the way, it’s also worth it to have a second freezer if you can find the space. The investment will pay you back forever in money and time saved, and convenience! I write about this in detail in my book, which is coming out in late fall 2024, and I will write more about freezing food in upcoming stories. For now, if you have any questions about freezing bread or anything else, please write to me. I would love to help you set up your kitchen for dinner success!
