THE ORIGINAL ‘RECEIPT’

FRIED BREAD FOR SOUP.

Allow an ounce of butter or fat….. to a quarter pound of bread.  Cut the bread in slices nearly half an inch in thickness, and then into dice or diamonds, and fry, keeping it constantly shaken, this it may be browned all over.  The colour should be a light brown, and the bread must be stale.  Before serving, drain and dry on blotting paper before the fire.

~Handbook of Domestic Cookery. London and Glasgow: William Coltins, Sons & Company, Limited, 1882.

THE UPDATED RECIPE

• 1 oz. butter
• 4 oz. diced stale bread.

Cut slightly stale bread into ½-inch slices, trim off the crusts, and cut into cubes.

Melt the butter in a 10-inch diameter cast iron frying pan, over medium heat.

Add the cubed bread, and fry it for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, until the bread becomes crisp, and golden-brown.

Stir continually, so that the bread browns evenly, and adjust the temperature, if required, to prevent the pan from becoming too hot.

Turn the cubes onto absorbent paper, and keep them warm until ready to serve, or reheat, when needed, if desired.

Yield:  this quantity is sufficient as an accompaniment for approximately 8 to 10 servings of soup.  Sprinkle on the surface of hot soup, either in a tureen, or in individual bowls, just prior to serving.