The BREAD CAKE is an easy recipe with a rustic flavor that comes together quickly and tastes irresistible. Also great for using up stale bread and avoiding waste, it’s perfect as an appetizer, to take on a picnic, or simply to put on the table to start a meal or to complete a buffet.
It can also be a great fridge-clearing recipe to personalize with the cheeses and cured meats you have on hand.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4.4 oz bread (baguette or regular bread (about half a baguette))
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 oz Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2.5 oz Gruyère (or another semi-soft cheese)
- 3 oz smoked pancetta (diced)
- 1 bunch parsley
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
Steps
Preparing the BREAD CAKE is really child’s play.
To start, slice the baguette into slices about 3/8 inch thick and divide them into four portions.
In a bowl, break the eggs and beat them lightly. Then add the milk, a pinch of salt, a sprinkle of black pepper and mix well.
Place the bread in a freezer storage plastic bag.
Put the baguette slices into the bag and pour the milk-and-egg mixture over the bread slices.
Sprinkle with the pancetta (diced), the grated Parmesan, the Gruyère and the chopped parsley (including stems), leaving some for the final decoration.
Close the bag and shake it well so that all the ingredients combine evenly.
Arrange the mixture in an 8-inch (20 cm) pan lined with wet and wrung-out parchment paper. Press and compact the surface and bake in a preheated, conventional oven at 356 °F for about 40 minutes.
Once your bread cake is cooked, take it out of the oven, let it cool slightly, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and enjoy its simple goodness.
