Bread Crisps

Have left-over bread, not quite fresh enough to be good on its own? Bread crisps are the solution. They are what they sound like: bread, baked to a crisp. Drying them out means that there’s no moisture for moulds or other organisms to live on, so you can store them for longer. Waste not, etc. They are great for scooping up dips, great for saving-scrag ends of bread.

Slice the bread thinly and dry it in the oven. The trick is to keep the oven low, just under 100C to avoid browning reactions starting. They are what makes toast delicious and brown but crostini should be dry, not crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Don’t let it go dark, aim for unchanged or slightly golden.

Serves: Dependent on amount of bread. Prep: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 15-40 minutes.
Stores: For months, provided they are completely dry and they are stored in a sealed container.

Tools

• Chopping board
• Bread knife
• Baking sheet
• Storage container with a lid

Ingredients

• Bread

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to just under 100C.
2. Finely slice the bread. The thinner you make it, the faster it dries. (But if it’s see-through thin its not strong enough to scoop stiff dips).
3. Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet.
4. Put in the oven and leave until completely dry. How long that takes depends on how thick the slices are and how dense the bread was to begin with. Check regularly and lower the temperature if the bread’s turning dark.
5. When done (all crunch and no cotton), remove from the oven and let cool.
6. When completely cool, eat, or store in an air-tight container until needed.

Variations

• Croutons: Cut the bread into cubes instead of slices and dry.
• Flavour: Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with spices, or salt and pepper, before drying to give the bread a little more flavour.