7 Surprisingly Delicious Ways to Save a Stale Baguette
Because even yesterday’s baguette deserves a second chance (and possibly a drizzle of honey)
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Buying a fresh baguette — back in my Parisian days was one of those small but satisfying luxuries. For under a euro (40 centimes if you were only after half), you could enjoy that unmistakable crackle when you gave it a gentle squeeze — the kind of sound now trending on social media ASMR accounts.
Even when I was scraping together the last coins from my papier-mâché piggy bank, I could afford one. I was always a baguette de tradition, bien cuite kind of girl — the more rustic, deeply golden variety with plenty of crunch. When you walk into a boulangerie in France, you’re usually faced with a choice: a standard baguette (a little taller, paler and smoother), or the more artisanal tradition.
Paris even hosts a kind of beauty pageant for baguettes — an annual competition to crown the city’s finest. This year, the title went to Mikael Reydellet and his bakery in the 10th arrondissement (here’s the full list of past winners if you’re curious).
As glorious as a fresh baguette is, its golden hour is short-lived — by the next day, you're often left with a rock-hard remnant. And unless you're feeding a family of six, there's usually a bit left over.
Last month I asked on Notes how people liked to use stale baguettes and got some brilliant alternative suggestions from:
1. Freezer first
Right — if you know you’re only going to eat half the baguette, pop the other half straight into the freezer as soon as you get it home. I do this with all my bread. If it’s sourdough or a seeded loaf, I pre-slice it to make it easier to drop straight into the toaster later. Future-you will thank you.
2. The second coming
A little sprinkle of water and a quick blast in the oven at 160°C, and your baguette is back in business. It usually resurrects beautifully. In a hurry? Just slice it and slot it into the toaster. It won’t be perfect, but it’ll do the job.
3. Crumb it
Yes, the obvious one — breadcrumbs. You want the bread properly rock-hard for this. I usually stash a bagful of odds and ends in the freezer and do a bulk blitz in the food processor when it’s full.
Short on freezer space (which I often am)? You can also store stale bread in a fabric bag somewhere airy — just avoid anywhere damp or you’ll end up with mould. Once blitzed, store your crumbs in a jar — they last for ages. Brilliant for breading, scattering over gratins, adding crunch to pasta, or padding out meatballs.
4. Croutons
Yes, everyone knows you can cube stale bread, toss it in olive oil and salt, and fry it up into savoury croutons. Great with soup or salads.
But have you ever fried them in salted butter and drizzled with honey? *Game-changer.* I did this in Paris once and it was a revelation. Serve with yoghurt or a petit Suisse and fresh berries for a breakfast that’s somewhere between French toast and granola.
5. Don’t tell the Italians
Baguette pizza — oh yes. Slice it open, spread with tomato passata (or just squish up some tomatoes), add cheese and whatever pizza-ish toppings you fancy. Grill until golden and bubbling.
Top tip: I like to slice the baguette into three thinner strips, so there’s less bready heft. Or flatten it a bit before topping — your call.
6. Lose it (in a good way)
Let it disappear into a pool of egg and milk, maybe with a little sugar and spice (cinnamon works a treat), and you’ve got yourself a sweet baked bread pudding sponge.
Basic ratio: 2 eggs + 250ml milk + ½ stale baguette (sliced)
Prefer savoury? Skip the sugar and spice, and instead whisk in a touch of mustard, salt and black pepper for a soufflé-ish bake.
7. Dumplings, darling
Bread dumplings are a joy — thrifty, comforting, and perfect bobbing about in a stew or broth. The stale bread soaks up all the flavour and transforms into soft, satisfying little morsels. Find my recipe for Boeuf bourguinon with baguette dumplings here from the Little Paris Kitchen cookbook.
Got your own stale bread trick? Reply and share — I’m all ears (and crumbs).