Life gets busy sometimes and even with the best of intentions, sometimes we neglect the delicious, freshly purchased sourdough until it’s gone stale. Never fear, stale sourdough can still be turned into a delightful treat with these two recipes.

Garlic cheese bread

If you fancy a side dish to your dinner or an appetising afternoon snack, give this garlic cheese bread recipe a go.

This is a single serve recipe, but you can make it for more than one person.

Ingredients (for 1 slice)

• 1 slice sourdough bread 
• 1-2 tsp unsalted butter (more or less, depending on the size of your slice)
• 1/2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• A pinch of salt (to your taste)
• 1/3 tsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1 1/2 Tbsp grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Method

• In a small bowl, mix butter, minced garlic, salt, chopped parsley.
• Brush or spoon garlic mixture generously on the bread.
• Sprinkle grated parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top.
• Place slice of bread cheese side up on baking sheet and grill until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve warm.

Thanks to Cafe Delites for the recipe.

Sourdough bread pudding

If you fancy something sweeter than garlic bread look no further than this easy-as sourdough bread pudding! This richly flavoured dessert is a great way to ensure stale sourdough bread is eaten and enjoyed.

Ingredients

• 1 sourdough loaf
• 300ml milk
• 1 apple or quince, grated (include the skin but not the core or pips)
• 300g dried mixed fruit (e.g.: mixture of currants, raisins, sour cherries, sultanas, etc)
• 3 Tbsp soft dark brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp plum jam
• 40g self-raising flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 100g butter, melted

Method

• Preheat the oven to 170˚C. Grease and line a 20×28 cm roasting tin with baking paper.
• Slice the bread, including the crusts, then break up into small pieces. Place the milk in a bowl, add the bread pieces, then stand for 10 minutes or until the milk has been absorbed and the bread is soft.  Beat the bread and milk well with a fork or your hands until a creamy mush forms. 
• Stir in the grated apple or quince, then add all the remaining ingredients, but only half the melted butter. Stir until well combined, then pour into the prepared tin. Pour the rest of the melted butter evenly over the surface. 
• Use a pastry brush to ensure that it is all coated. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 1½ hours or until golden and set. Remove from the oven, sprinkle over a little demerara sugar and serve warm with double cream or custard.
• Alternatively allow to cool, then slice and eat as cake.

Thanks to Peter Kuruvtia on SBS for the recipe.

If you are looking for more things to do with stale bread, try our Pain Perdu – Authentic French Toast recipe