There’s nothing like a fresh loaf of bread from a bakery. It’s hearty crust and soft inside is the stuff of happiness. However, I’m usually unable to finish a loaf before it starts to go stale. Many people recommend freezing bread, defrost, and reheat to use at your convenience. I just can’t do it. I’m not a fan of frozen, thawed, and reheated bread. There is a silver lining though. Pazanella. This is basically a bread salad with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and a vinaigrette. Mmmm bread. (You can also just make croutons, which involves the first paragraph of the directions and sprinkling with salt and pepper along with the olive oil.)

Panzanella

Prep time 10 minutes, Cook time 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

• Half a loaf of crusty bread, 1-2 days old (I recommend sourdough or Italian bread)
• 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil for drizzling
• 1 English cucumber, halved, seeded, and sliced
• 4 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into medium-sized wedges
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 20 basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup aged provolone cheese, shaved (Parmesan is tasty as well)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes, arrange evenly on a baking sheet, and drizzle with approximately 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the bread cubes are crisp. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. In a large bowl, toss together bread, English cucumber, tomatoes, and red onions. Pour vinaigrette over the salad and gently combine. Add cheese and basil and mix again. Cover with Saran Wrap and allow to settle at room temperature for an hour prior to serving.

Before you serve, remember to taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.