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    Home » Sourdough FAQ

    What To Do With Leftover Sourdough Bread (for less food waste)

    Published: Jan 15, 2023 by The Pantry Mama This post may contain affiliate links.

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    HOW TO USE LEFTOVER SOURDOUGH BREAD - PINTEREST IMAGE

    Let's look at how to use leftover sourdough bread so that we create less food waste. Hang on, there's no such thing as leftover sourdough bread you say? Well true, the loaves don't last all that long around here, but often we'll have a few slices of stale bread that just don't get eaten (unless I've only been making smaller sourdough loaves).

    But instead of feeding the leftover sourdough to my chickens, I've been coming up with tasty new ways to use up the leftover sourdough bread and turn it into something delicious!

    There really is a myriad of creative ways you can use up leftover sourdough bread, and this list is in no way exhaustive - but it does include some of my favorite recipes!

    Of course, if you'd prefer to learn about how to use up leftover sourdough starter, you'll find 60+ sourdough discard recipes here (including blueberry sourdough muffins, sourdough pretzels, sourdough banana bread and sourdough pancakes!

    What to do with leftover sourdough bread
    Don't waste leftover sourdough bread, use these easy ideas to find out what to do with leftover sourdough bread (for less food waste).

    Best Ways To Use Up Leftover Sourdough Bread (10 Great Ideas)

    If you do happen to have some leftover sourdough bread kicking around, these are my favorite ways to use it up:

    • Sourdough Crostini
    • Sourdough Croutons
    • Sourdough Bread Pudding (YUM)
    • Sourdough Breadcrumbs (perfect for schnitzels and meatballs)
    • Sourdough Stuffing
    • Make Bruschetta
    • Make an Italian Bread Salad (Panzanella)
    • Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
    • Sourdough French Toast (The Best French Toast Ever)
    • Refresh The Sourdough Bread

    It doesn't matter whether you've got just a few slices of sourdough bread leftover or a whole loaf, there's sure to be one of these amazing recipes that takes your fancy!

    Sourdough Crostini (Sourdough Crisp Bread)

    Crostini are sometimes called crisp bread but they are basically the same thing - a very crunchy "crisp" bread made from stale bread. The great thing is you could also make bagel chips using sourdough bagels using this same technique.

    Sourdough crostini made from leftover sourdough baguette.

    If you've ever wondered what to do with leftover sourdough baguette - the answer is always crostini!

    Sourdough Crostini
    Simple sourdough crostini made from leftover sourdough baguette or sourdough bread. Bursting with crunch and flavor, you'll never throw away leftover or stale sourdough again!
    Check out this recipe
    Sourdough Crostini - Recipe Feature Image

    Sourdough Croutons

    Sourdough croutons are so easy to make, you'll wonder why you've never done it before! The great thing about homemade croutons is that you can use stale sourdough bread that might otherwise be thrown away.

    You can flavor them with any type of herbs and spices you might like and bake them until golden brown and crunchy. They make the perfect topping for soups and salads.

    In fact my kids love these so much they just eat them like potato chips for a snack.

    Croutons made from sourdough bread are a great way to use up leftover sourdough bread
    Homemade Sourdough Croutons
    These simple sourdough croutons are so easy to make and even easier to enjoy in soups and salads. Great way to use up stale sourdough bread.
    Check out this recipe
    HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH CROUTONS - RECIPE FEATURE IMAGE

    Sourdough Bread Pudding

    Sourdough makes a hearty and robust bread pudding - in fact it's my favorite way to make this delicious dessert! You'll need brown sugar, milk, vanilla extract and eggs to make a custard before pouring it over leftover portions of sourdough bread. Depending on where you live this can also be called bread and butter pudding.

    I love this for an easy dessert, but it also makes a great breakfast the next day!

    You can choose to add raisins, chocolate chips, raspberries or just leave it plain. It's delicious no matter how you serve it!

    Bread Pudding using leftover sourdough bread - served in a blue oven dish surrounded by blueberries and whipped cream.
    Sourdough Bread Pudding Recipe
    The best sourdough bread pudding recipe around - allows you to use up leftover or stale sourdough bread to create a decadent, classic dessert that will become a fast family favorite!
    Check out this recipe
    Sourdough bread pudding - recipe feature image

    Sourdough Bread Crumbs

    It's so easy to make breadcrumbs from old stale sourdough bread. In fact, it's the best kind of bread to make breadcrumbs from!

    Have you used panko crumbs before? Sourdough breadcrumbs turn out much like those and give your crumbed meats and veggies a crunchier, crisper coating. Sourdough bread crumbs can also be used along with leftover sourdough starter to make crispy onion rings! Sourdough breadcrumbs are also perfect for adding to meatballs and using to thicken sauces. I love using them on top of sourdough bèchamel sauce for a crunchy top on lasagne and potato bake.

    For extra crunchy sourdough breadcrumbs, I recommend toasting the leftover sourdough bread in the oven first, or even making croutons and then crushing them up.

    Sourdough Stuffing

    Sourdough stuffing is such a delicious way to use up leftover sourdough bread.

    You'll need to cube up your leftover sourdough bread and dry it out in the oven. Then you need to pour an egg mixture over the cubes, along with some herbs and spices to create a sourdough stuffing that grandma would be proud of!

    I recommend using a large mixing bowl when mixing the egg mixture through the sourdough bread cubes so that they are all coated evenly.

    Cubed leftover sourdough bread tossed with herbs and a blue jug pouring egg mixture over the bread cubes.
    Sourdough Stuffing Recipe
    A sourdough take on a traditional stuffing recipe, perfect for your Thanksgiving celebration or holiday table. Use homemade sourdough bread to create this family favorite side dish.
    Check out this recipe
    Sourdough Stuffing Recipe - Recipe Feature Image

    Sourdough Bruschetta

    Italian bruschetta is a creative way to use up your leftover sourdough bread.

    You can choose to make crostini first and then serve your bruschetta mixture over these, or toast your pieces of bread, rub them with garlic and then top with the mixture of tomato, basil and a little olive oil. So good! Sourdough garlic bread is also a lovely base for bruschetta.

    I have to say this is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover sourdough bread (especially if it comes with a glass of wine). It's the perfect light dinner on a summer evening when the vegetable garden is producing plenty of sweet basil and tomatoes.

    Make An Italian Bread Salad (Panzanella)

    There are lots of different recipes for making panzanella or Italian Bread Salad - and the best recipe is the one you and your family love to eat! This salad is particularly good because it uses really old stale sourdough bread and turns it into something absolutely delicious!

    The dry bread soaks up all the dressing and it really is the perfect way to repurpose your sourdough.

    I love this Jamie Oliver version.

    Panzanella Salad or Italian Bread Salad using sourdough bread served on a brown plate.
    An example of an Italian bread salad using leftover sourdough bread.

    Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

    If you've never used sourdough bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches, well you're missing out! The best thing about grilled cheese sandwiches is that you can use leftover sourdough bread that you'd otherwise throw away because it's not fresh enough to eat on it's own.

    The toasting process, as well as the oils in the cheese, bring that stale sourdough back to life. You can even use some parmesan cheese or butter on the outside slices to give them a bigger sourdough flavor.

    Sourdough French Toast

    French toast is always a good idea, but French toast made with leftover sourdough bread? Well that's the best idea for a perfect Saturday morning breakfast!

    French toast in itself is pretty easy - it's just a mixture of egg, milk, sugar and cinnamon if you like. The robust texture of sourdough bread makes it extra special, and even better, creates less food waste.

    Refreshing Sourdough Bread

    If your leftover sourdough bread isn't too hard and has no mold, you may be able to refresh the bread to give it new life.

    One of the easiest ways to refresh sourdough bread is to lightly toast it. This reinvigorates the bread and makes it edible again, almost like when it was fresh out of the oven. Of course, you'll need to make sure you have the best toaster for sourdough bread.

    If you have a whole loaf that hasn't been cut into, you can spray the loaf lightly with water and then place it into a hot oven. You can find full instructions for refreshing a loaf of sourdough bread here.

    HOW TO USE LEFTOVER SOURDOUGH BREAD - PINTEREST IMAGE
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    Hi, I'm Kate! I’m the face behind The Pantry Mama and I want to help you bake delicious sourdough bread, no matter what your schedule. 
    When I’m not baking sourdough, I love to hang out with my three boys on our farm, tend to my jungle of indoor plants and drink good coffee.

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