“The seven days of bread” is a concept Andrew Whitley talks about in his book Do Sourdough: Slow Bread for Busy Lives. I am fully in tune with this idea. Yup. That is the life. He explains :
“As soon as it is baked and cooled, the process of ‘staling’ begins. Slowly, the starches harden and the moist crumb dries out. In sourdough breads, the flavour becomes more pronounced and ‘mature’. With each change comes a new adaptation to what the bread can offer.” (p.129 Do Sourdough: Slow Bread )
“Without time, sourdough fermentation has no meaning. And I would argue that our pleasure in baked bread is one-dimensional (if not illusory) if it excludes any part of a loaf’s passage from newly baked to stale.” (p.128 Do Sourdough: Slow Bread )
His seven days of bread are explained like this:
Day 1 : Fresh
Just out of the oven. No butter (but some self-control) needed. Perfect
Day 2 : Sandwich
Still soft, but firm enough to hold a filling.
Day 3 : Toast
Drying out. Toasting both crisps the outside of the bread and softens the starches of the inner layer of the slice (unless you go on too long). Best eaten just warm, not hot.
Day 4 : Bruschetta
Getting quite dry but not ‘stale’. Toast lightly, top with peppers, onions, olives, goat’s cheese, etc. and finish under the grill.
Day 5 : Crisp breads
Drier still. Slice very thickly with a good bread knife, lay out on a baking tray and dry out in a very low oven until completely crisp.
Day 6 : Croutons
Hard tack. Slice into 1.5cm cubes, fry in a little olive oil (they’ll try to soak up a lot) until they are taking a little colour. Cool, bag up and use later or simply toss into a green salad.
Day 7 : Breadcrumbs
Probably beginning to crack a little as the interior dries and shrinks. Grate or use a food processor. Bag and freeze. Or stir a little olive oil through the crumbs with your fingers and use to top a vegetable casserole.
[Ref: pp. 130-133 Do Sourdough: Slow Bread ]
…So there you have it. Man may not be able to live off bread alone (for long), but this is how you make your bread live for you. I reckon, if you’re not making your own sourdough like Andrew Whitley teaches (worth a try!!!), then:
Day 8 : Buy More Bread
Do Sourdough: Slow Bread for Busy Lives by Andrew Whitley
Visit https://www.breadmatters.com/ for more from Andrew Whitley