The crust and interior of stale bread come from the same loaf but behave like two different ingredients. The crust is dry and breaks easily; it is the right part for breadcrumbs, croutons, and a crunchy soup topping. The interior still holds some moisture and softens as it absorbs liquid, making it useful in fillings, tirit, and dishes where bread is soaked in liquid. That is why the loaf is divided into two parts before use.
The difference comes from how bread bakes in the oven. The crust takes direct heat from the oven, loses most of its water, and browns; the interior cooks in steam protected by the crust and stays moist. As bread goes stale, the two parts change in different ways: the crust either dries out further or absorbs moisture from the interior and turns rubbery, while the interior firms up but does not dry out completely. Using the two parts from the same loaf for the same purpose can therefore spoil the result.
Use the crust for tasks that call for crunch. Once it is completely dry, grate it or pound it in a mortar to make breadcrumbs; these breadcrumbs are dark in color and give coatings a toasted color. Break the crust into large pieces and toast them in a pan with a little oil to make croutons for soup or salad. If the crust is moist and rubbery, dry it first. Here is how to tell it is dry: a piece breaks without bending between two fingers. A crust that bends will clump when grated and stick to the grater. Sifting the grated crust through a fine sieve makes the coating more even.
Use the interior when you want it to absorb liquid. It can be soaked, squeezed, and added to meatball or stuffed-vegetable filling because bread without the crust disperses evenly and does not leave hard pieces to bite into. In dishes such as tirit and papara, where bread is soaked in meat broth, the interior absorbs the liquid quickly and forms a soft layer; crust-on pieces stay firm longer in the same dish, so adjust the ratio to the texture you want. The interior also soaks more evenly in slices dipped in a milk-and-egg mixture and cooked in a pan.
Separate the bread before the loaf becomes completely hard. Once it has firmed up but can still be cut, use a bread knife to cut the crust into strips; remove the interior by hand or cut it into cubes. In a rock-hard loaf, the knife cuts the whole loaf rather than just the crust, and the two parts will not separate. Put the separated parts in different containers, because the interior releases moisture next to crust left to dry and slows the crust from drying. Spread the crust strips in one layer on a baking sheet so they dry at the same rate on all sides. If the interior will not be used right away, put it in a covered container.
The type of bread also changes the proportions. Country bread with a thick crust yields a larger share of crust and plenty of material for breadcrumbs; sandwich bread with a thin crust has a smaller share of crust, which is often used together with the interior. Whole-wheat and rye bread produce darker breadcrumbs; choose white bread crust when you want a light-colored coating. Regardless of the type of bread, soak and squeeze the interior before adding it to the filling; interior mixed in with the crust leaves hard spots in the filling.
A Note for Readers
This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult your doctor before making any decision about your health.