8 ways to lengthen the lifespan of a baguette

There’s plenty of tasty options for when your crusty bread stick becomes a little too crusty.

Polpette meatballs

Delicious polpette meatballs Source: Alan Benson

It sounds fancy, but it’s nothing more than blitzing, toasting and seasoning old bread. Use it as a crumb on meat (like this healthy ), fish, squid, or in this .
Portuguese breadcrumb, black bean and kale salad
Portuguese breadcrumb, black bean and kale salad Source: Chris Chen
Breadcrumbs are the perfect binding agent in traditional Italian meatballs. Simply pulse with garlic, onion, eggs, parmesan, parsley and seasoning for a quick DIY army of flavour-packed balls.
Polpette meatballs
Delicious Polpette meatballs Source: Alan Benson
Otherwise known as stale bread salad (not really, but the day-old bread is arguably the hero here), panzanella is living proof of the resourcefulness of Italians in the kitchen. That’s how the traditional Tuscan salad was born, with the stale bread toasted and lifted with fresh tomatoes, oil and herbs.
Panzanella
Source: SBS Food

Let it soak up those chicken juices

When you're making something like the below, cube your leftover baguette and arrange them around your chook in the pan, so that it soaks up all those lovely juices while it roasts. Then, you can blitz this, add herbs and seasoning and turn it into a cheat’s stuffing,
Here's a handy shortcut to try.
Here's a handy shortcut to try. Source: China Squirrel
Breadcrumbs are just as good on the outer as the are on the inside. Use your freshly-made crumbs to make these stuffed  or crisp and golden !
Deep-fried stuffed olives
Olive ascolane is a popular wedding food in Italy. Source: Getty Images
I know what you’re thinking: croutons were so noughties. But there’s more to these crunchy little puffs of stale bread than a Caesar salad accompaniment. Take this slow or this quick , for instance.
Spaghetti with tuna, croutons and parsley
Spaghetti with tuna, croutons and parsley Source: SBS Food
Crostini are a great use of stale baguettes. The French bread sticks in particular are the optimum size for these handheld morsels that can be topped with smoked trout, salmon, or .
Salt cod crostini
Source: Chris Chen
Step away from the flour – breadcrumbs give rustic body to wintry soups like, this Italian . It’s a peasant dish, meaning it’s light on the purse pocket and heavy on flavour.
Ribollita
Source: Alan Benson
Paul's making baguettes on  for a big community feast. Monday 22 July 6.30pm, on SBS Food channel 33 then on .


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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only.
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2 min read
Published 15 August 2017 11:36am
Updated 22 July 2019 5:42pm
By SBS Food bite-sized
Source: SBS


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