Do you have some stale country bread left on your hands? For a change from French toast, try this very popular recipe in Germany…
In a world where you have to work hard to earn your bread, there is something almost indecent about throwing away hard bread. In a study conducted by Too Good To Go and Appinio in March 2025 relayed by our colleagues at France Bluehowever, we learn that this food waste concerns nearly 6 out of 10 French people. 41% of them even admit to throwing away more than half a baguette per month, citing premature staleness as the main reason. A waste which obviously impacts our wallet, but also the planet. According to the figures communicated by the anti-waste app, each baguette thrown away would in fact be equivalent to a loss of 155 liters of water, or a full bathtub.
However, there are many tips for giving leftover shriveled bread a second life. If we immediately think of French toast or breadcrumbs, we also find in a more original register an emblematic specialty of German and Austrian cuisine, very easy to make, that Laurent Mariotte recently discovered during a stay in Berlin: the knödel. Rustic and economical dumplings made from stale bread, which are poached in boiling water and served as a main dish, with a sauce or on a bed of salad.
First heat 25 cl of whole milk with 2 bay leaves and 3 cloves, and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Then cut 250 g of stale country bread (without the crust) into large cubes and place them in a salad bowl. Pour the hot, filtered milk over it and let it soak slowly. Meanwhile, peel and chop 2 onions and brown them in a saucepan with 30 g of butter for around ten minutes, until they are well preserved, then add them to the rehydrated bread with the chopped fresh herbs of your choice (Laurent Mariotte combined 1/2 bunch of tarragon, 1/2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley and 1/2 bunch of chives). Mix everything by hand before incorporating 1 whole egg, salt and pepper.
Leave to rest for about 30 minutes before forming nice balls of dough (wetting your hands makes it easier) and plunging them into a large pot of simmering salted water. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes depending on size and drain. A simple and delicious recipe that requires (almost) no bread!
