Bread

Stale bread, once a stand-by for the frugal housewife, is now a traditional ingredient of many dishes in one of several forms: bread crumbs, croutons, and chapons. Sometimes a slice is soaked in milk, which is squeezed out before the bread is used for a sauce or for stuffing. You can buy the so-called French or Italian bread, but home-baked bread is best. I prefer baking my own firm white bread with unbleached flour.