Month: November 2015

Serve up sumptuous French toast

by mrbakestone, posted in bread

eggy breadFrench toast is enjoyed around the world but here in the UK the toasted breakfast treat is more lovingly known as “eggy bread”. It has been a firm favourite for a long time and can be enjoyed in many ways. Some people love to sweeten it up with a side of fruit and syrups, whereas others stick to a savoury accompaniment of a dollop of red or brown sauce.

French toast is often made from stale bread. This is not only a way to use it up and prevent it from being wasted; it actually produces the best French toast, as stale bread absorbs more of the mixture than fresh. If you have even one day old bread spare, you are ready to create the most fantastic “eggy bread”.

You don’t want your French toast to turn out limp and soggy, so there are a few steps you can take to ensure it comes out as it should. Leaving your slices out overnight to dry ensures the bread will soak up the perfect amount of egg mixture. When you come to soak the bread in the mixture you infuse it with a custard, which always tastes better when it is made with cream. Try substituting the milk for a double cream and you are sure to see and taste the difference.

Butter is a big deal with this bread dish. You need enough butter in the pan to ensure your bread is crisped instead of steamed and to give your toast that unmistakeable flavour. If you wish, you can make your toast crunchy by adding a little flour to the egg and milk before you whip it up. When frying for a large number of people, keep your already prepared slices warm in a 300 degree oven as you cook.

When your toast is ready all that is left to do is perfect it with your favourite topping. Place the slices on a platter so they overlap slightly and if desired, sweeten them up with a light sprinkling of sugar. If butter is your preference keep it softened and if syrup is your ideal choice keep it warm. As a reputable name in bread supply for the North of England businesses, we love to help our clients and customers make the best of their bread products. Follow these tips for delicious French toast and an economical way to make great use of stale bread.

The perfect number of slices in a loaf

by mrbakestone, posted in Debate

Bread is a staple of diets in countries around the world because it is cheap to make, versatile, tastt and packed with essential nutrients. The importance of bread means it is often produced in huge volumes to meet demand. However, this also leads to it being one of the most frequently wasted foods because people tend to buy more than they need to ensure they don’t run out.

In order to tackle the wastage, buyer trends would need to change. This can already be seen in some cases, particularly with the introduction of half loaves over the last few years. These are designed for people that only want a small amount of bread rather than a whole loaf that they may struggle to use up. They were introduced as an alternative to the smaller loaves because many people still want full size pieces of bread; they simply want fewer slices.

This has solved one problem, but it leaves another for people who consume slightly more than a single loaf of bread. Typically they would need to consume less or be forced to buy an additional loaf. Naturally both options are not ideal but the second could dramatically increase waste. We recognised this issue and introduced our long loaf to meet consumer demands. Longer loaves are perfect for people that need more bread than a single loaf but less than two.

There are a range of Bakestone long loafs to choose from including white, brown and wholemeal in medium and thick sliced varieties. We are proud to offer our bread supply across the north of the UK, catering for the needs of all kinds of business owners. We are committed to offering the most reliable bakery supply services in the region, both in terms of the range of products we offer and the flexible deliveries we can arrange. If your customers are looking for longer loafs of premium quality bread, we can certainly provide the products you need.

Bakestone Range
Bakestone Range

Great ways to use your leftover baked goods

by mrbakestone, posted in Debate

As the specialists in bakery and bread supply in the North West, we’re passionate about bread and we want to make sure that everyone gets the full benefit of our products. Many of us buy too much bread and are unable to use it all up before the use by date, but bread still makes a fantastic ingredient even when it is past its best. Here are some great ideas for ways to use up those leftover baked goods.

– Stale bread is great for making breadcrumbs, which can be used in all kinds of recipes and stored in the freezer until you need them. Simply put your stale bread through the food processer and you have a ready supply of breadcrumbs to coat meat and fish, scatter over pasta dishes, make a crust for casseroles, and add to countless other dishes for texture and crunch.

– Croutons are an easy way to use up bread while adding a new dimension of flavour and texture to soups and salads. Simply cut your bread up into cubes or chunks and sautee them in some oil and seasoning of your choice, until they are crisp and golden brown.

– Leftover bread can also be used in sweet dishes, particularly in puddings. Why not try a classic bread pudding made with eggs, sugar and mixed fruit, or a summer pudding packed with berries?

Ingredients

Serves: 7
100g sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 slices of any bread
Butter
3 handfuls sultanas
500ml milk
2 eggs

Method
Prep:10min › Cook:30min › Extra time:5min resting › Ready in:45min

Preheat oven to 190 C / Gas mark 5. Lightly grease a baking dish.
Mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
Butter 5 slices of bread, cut in half.
Layer the bread in the dish adding a handful of sultanas and the sugar mix as you go, covering each slice.
Mix the milk and eggs together and whisk.
Pour over the bread and leave to absorb for 10 minutes.
Bake in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until the pudding is set and browned.

– Bread can be used as an ingredient in salads. One of the most famous bread salads is panzanella, an Italian recipe which traditionally incorporates chunks of bread and tomatoes soaked in olive oil and vinegar and flavoured with herbs. This recipe actually works much better with stale bread than fresh, as it holds its structure better after being soaked in the dressing.

bread pudding
Bread Pudding

Ingredients

200 g stale bread
600 g ripe mixed tomatoes, , roughly chopped
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 handful small capers , drained
1 small red onion , peeled and very finely sliced
280 g jarred red peppers , drained and roughly chopped
8 anchovy fillets in oil , drained and finely sliced (optional)
red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
a bunch of fresh basil

Method
Tear the stale bread into rough 3cm pieces and place on a tray.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Rinse the capers, squeezing out any excess liquid and add to the bowl, along with the onion, peppers, bread and anchovies, if using.

Toss the mixture together with your hands, then stir in 2 tablespoons of vinegar and about 3 times as much extra virgin olive oil. Taste and add a little more salt, pepper, vinegar or oil, if needed.

Tear in the basil leaves, stir together and serve. Delicious with barbecued meats or roast chicken.

Italian_Panzanella
Panzanella salad