Growing up Alexandra Stafford would eat homemade bread at nearly every meal, not realizing that her mother’s dedication to cooking (be it baking, preparing her own chicken stock, or making spanakopita and moussaka from scratch) was something unusual: to be cherished and later in life and wholly shaped by.
“I can’t imagine growing up without bread rising on the counter all the time, and eating it at every meal,” admitted Stafford in an interview with A Way to Garden. “I didn’t really think it was anything special growing up because it was what was always around, because my mother was always baking bread.” According to Stafford bread was a household staple.
11 years after launching her food blog on a whim, Stafford published her debut cookbook Bread Toast Crumbs, dedicated to bread. But as the title might suggest, the book isn’t just about baking bread; it’s also about what to do with the slices and heels and nubs from those many loaves you’ll bake.
“When I get down to a half a loaf of bread or a quarter of a loaf of bread and I am already making more, I usually stash all those heels in the freezer, for when I am ready to make crumbs,” says Stafford. “When I am ready to make crumbs, I will thaw them, puree them in the food processor, spread them on a sheet pan, and then I like to dry them in the oven slowly.”
According to Stafford, other than a passion for bread she doesn’t follow any specific diet, believing in the power of balance and moderation. Her blog offers a variety of recipes, mostly simple to follow, and always seasonal.
Purchase Bread Toast Crumbs on Amazon and follow Stafford on social media for more.
