What Can You Use Instead of Bread?

What to use when you run out of bread depends on the bread’s role in the recipe. Instead of bread as a binder in meatballs and stuffed vegetables, use breadcrumbs or soaked bulgur. For crunch on soup and salad, try toasted seeds or roasted chickpeas. In bread-based sweet or savory dishes such as papara and Turkish bread pudding, phyllo dough or stale sponge cake can work.

What can replace bread as a binder in meatballs and stuffed vegetables?
In stuffed meatballs, grilled meatballs, and stuffed-vegetable filling, bread holds moisture and softens the mixture. You can use about 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs in place of 1 slice of bread. Because breadcrumbs do not absorb liquid directly, first add a few spoonfuls of water or milk to the mixture. In recipes that use bulgur, fine bulgur can provide much of the soft texture of bread: soak it in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain it. Bulgur also adds a mild grain flavor to meatballs. Cooled rice pilaf can provide similar substance in stuffed vegetables, especially meatless ones. If using flour, measure carefully; replacing bread directly with flour makes the mixture firm. Instead, use 1 tablespoon of flour per 1 slice of bread, and be sure to add it with a few spoonfuls of liquid. Otherwise, the meatballs will dry out and crack as they cook, and the flour flavor will stand out.

What can you use instead of croutons in soup and salad?
If you do not have bread for crouton-like crunch, sunflower or pumpkin seeds toasted in a pan with a little oil give a similar crispness. Toast them over medium heat for about 4–5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. For a texture and heft very close to bread croutons, boil chickpeas, dry them thoroughly on a clean towel, then roast them in the oven at 200°C / 390°F for 20 minutes. If you want the crunch to last in soup, add these alternatives just before serving; seeds or chickpeas added earlier soften within a few minutes in the hot liquid and lose their purpose.

How can you replace bread in recipes such as papara and Turkish bread pudding?
In dishes such as papara and tirit, where bread absorbs liquid and provides structure, layers of phyllo dough can serve a similar purpose; lightly brown the phyllo first, then dip it in water or broth. For Turkish bread pudding, stale sponge cake or cake slices can absorb syrup much like bread, but they stay a little softer and absorb the syrup faster than bread, so reduce the amount of syrup slightly. Whatever ingredient you choose, keep the bread’s main function in mind—binding, retaining moisture, or adding crunch—and choose an alternative that suits its role in the recipe, not just its appearance. Otherwise, the consistency may turn out too wet or too dry. Most of these alternatives are already on hand for small quantities, so there is no need to cancel a recipe from the start even if you notice at the last minute that you are out of bread.