Bread Tips
Buy bulk packages of corn tortillas.
If you have a small family that doesn’t use tortillas quickly repackage them in Ziploc bags containing six tortillas each. Then put the Ziploc bags back in the original tortilla bag and store in the freezer. This keeps them neat but lets you use just the amount you need without having to defrost the entire package of tortillas.
Save the crusts from kids sandwiches
I know it’s wasteful for them not to eat it but I also know that most kids won’t eat it at one point in their life!. Also save hamburger buns, hot dog buns, ends of French bread and bread heels. Use them to make croutons. If you butter toast with soft butter while the toast is still warm you use less butter than if the toast or the butter is cold.
Make several batches of bread dough.
After the first rising, punch down, shape into balls, put onto a cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen transfer the dough balls into a freezer bag. When you want fresh, homemade rolls, simply pull out a few, let them thaw and bake as usual.
Croutons
3 cups bread cubes (any thick pieces of leftover bread will work)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt and pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tsp. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. onion powder (or less to taste)
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl mix garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Put bread cubes into a bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, onion powder and Italian seasoning, if desired. Pour oil mixture over bread crumbs and toss. Spread out on a baking sheet. Bake, tossing once, until golden brown about (15-20 minutes). Store in an airtight container. These taste best if they are allowed to sit for one day before using.
From A Reader:
I received a tip on heating rolls several years ago from a Deli restaurant that served cinnamon rolls, etc. Her rolls were never tough – so I asked her the secret. If a roll is frozen – place it in the microwave for anywhere from 35 seconds to 1 minute on Auto Defrost. This way the heat goes on and off and does not make the roll tough, but comes out nice and warm.
You can use your own judgment (through trial and error as to the time needed – depending on the size of the roll). You can also heat hot dogs this way and they come out nice and hot, but don’t explode. I also have learned that you can re-heat such foods as shrimp alfredo, etc (foods that do not do well heated normally on high). You might have to go through the process with this type of dish more than once to get it heated up to your taste. The food will come out just like it is freshly cooked. -Maxine in Washington
Photo By: verygree
I’m really enjoying the great photos on your new site! Great work!
Oh Wendy, thank you, thank you, thank you for noticing the photos. I never knew all the work that goes on behind the scenes for things until I had my own business. We sometimes look at a couple of hundred pictures just to get the right one and we do it for each article which is a lot of pictures and time so for you to notice them and appreciate made my day. Jill
one tip for reviving rolls, donuts when they are day or older is to
put them into a paper bag. Roll it down so it is kind of sealed and wet it
quite well. Then put it in the oven at 350 until the bag dries.
They come out nice and soft and warm.
When I was a child the baker in town would call mom to come and pick up her treat at the end of the week. He had a huge box of day old donuts of all sorts and he told her how to do it.
My dad had worked for him for a few years and with 5 kids he knew mom would like to have them. Mom did not bake often as she was busy working.
Honey dipped donuts were our favourites. The honey pockets would remelt and were nice and sticky and drippy.
I agree the pictures add to the content. I do know the work that it takes to get a few good pics. My husband and I do a couple of web pages for two organizations and the pictures are the hardest to get right.
something I do with left over sliced bread or buns, I tear them up into bite size or a little larger pieces into a loaf pan or small baking dish and mix it with some “french toast” mix… eggs a little milk, a little vanilla. Mix it up real good so it’s all coated. Then I add some raisins and sliced apples and bake. It’s great for breakfast with some syrup.
Your website does get me thinking, thanks.
A way to keep bread before it risks going mouldy is to bake it on a tray at 125′C until it is perfectly dry.
Test by touching with a knife and if it does’t bounce back or have any give it is dry through. It could be cut into croutons before.
Cool and store in a jar until needed. Zweibeck – twice baked.
I’ve just done it with a nice health shop barley bread which I didn’t want to waste.
To add : lay out as slices on the cookie sheets.