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Making the Most of Your Bread Dollar by Carol Fenster

by info@gfreecuisine.com 21. April 2009 09:19
Let's face it: gluten-free bread is probably one of the more expensive items on our weekly shopping lists. For a loaf that costs roughly $6 with 10 to 12 slices, that's 50 or 60 cents per slice. No small change, especially if we're counting pennies.

Store your bread properly.  That means in an airtight package, away from light and heat. You can freeze bread and then gently rewarm on Low power in the microwave for just a few seconds. Don't ever heat bread on High, or it will become gummy and then hard as a rock as it cools down.

Croutons
See my cookbook, 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes (1,000 GFR) for a super-simple recipe for Croutons or use the one in the Panzanella recipe for a REALLY flavorful version. There's also a recipe for croutons in the Bread tab at   

Bread Crumbs
Whirl torn pieces of bread (trim the crusts off first) in a food processor until they are the texture you want. Freeze. Use them for crumb toppings, fillers, and binders in recipes such as meat loaf.

Panini or Grilled Sandwiches
Even the most stale, hardened bread can be gently revived on Low power in the microwave until it's pliable. This is necessary so you don't break the slice of bread while you're assembling the sandwich or while pressing it in the panini machine or skillet.

A panini machine is also called a sandwich maker/press and is a hinged appliance, somewhat like a waffle iron, but with much shallower ridge indentations. A visit to Amazon.com should show you several models.

Panini is the Italian word for the sandwich made with the machine. The NPD research group says that 17% of households have a sandwich maker/press and sandwiches remain the number one food consumed in American households.

Your machine will contain detailed recipes for you to follow, but basically a panini can contain anything you want. I have recipes in 1,000 GFR and Gluten-Free Quick & Easy to help guide you. And, any of the sandwiches at www.GfreeCuisine.com can be made into panini.

Bread Pudding
Bread Pudding was probably invented to use up stale, leftover bread. You'll find recipes just about everywhere, including my book, 1,000 GFR; subscribers to www.GfreeCuisine.com also have a recipe. It is a  very forgiving dish, and extremely easy to make. If you like it really soft, just add more liquid.

Stuffing for Pork Chops or Holiday Turkey
Save the crusts trimmed from the bread when you make bread crumbs and freeze them. When you've accumulated enough, make stuffing for pork chops or turkey by simply using your gluten-free bread crumbs instead of the wheat-bread variety used in traditional recipes.

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