Turn a sound, day-old loaf into croutons, toasted crumbs or freezer toast, with a few ways to match the bread to the meal.
Match the bread to the job
A dense sourdough, a soft sandwich loaf and a baguette leave very different leftovers. Firm sourdough slices hold up under juicy tomatoes. The dry end of a baguette breaks into coarse crumbs. Softer bread is easier to cut into cubes.
Only use bread that is still sound. Staleness and spoilage are different things. A dry loaf can be useful, but bread showing mould belongs out of the kitchen, not under a topping.
Use the crunch
Tear the bread into uneven pieces, toss lightly with olive oil and toast until crisp. Ragged edges catch dressings and sauces better than perfectly identical cubes. Add them to a bowl of beans, a simple soup or roast vegetables just before serving.
For smaller crumbs, pulse dry pieces briefly or crush them by hand. Toast the crumbs in a pan with a little oil, then take them off the heat before adding delicate herbs or lemon zest. They give pasta and salads a crisp finish without much effort.
Plan for the last few slices
If you know you will not finish a fresh loaf, slice and freeze part of it while it is still good. Separating the slices makes it easy to take only what you need. Toasting straight from frozen is often more useful than leaving half a loaf to dry out on the counter.
Freeze crumbs in small portions too. They can be toasted in a pan when you need a quick topping for pasta or roasted vegetables. Label the bag so it does not become an anonymous parcel at the bottom of the freezer.
