March 9, 2023

7 Things To Do With A Yellow Sticker Loaf of Bread

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One of the best things that you can buy from the yellow sticker section is bread. It’s often reduced to just pennies and there are loads of different things you can do it. Here are seven things you can do with a yellow sticker loaf of bread.

I absolutely love buying reduced food from the supermarket and I try to buy the majority of my bread from the yellow sticker section.

As well as saving money, it can also help to save on food waste, so it’s really good for the environment too.

Before we get started, I thought I’d try and answer a few of the questions you might have about yellow sticker bread.

Does Yellow Sticker Bread Go Off Quicker?

Bread tends to have a pretty limited shelf life which is one of the main reasons it ends up getting reduced so frequently and by so much.

It also depends on the type of bread. For example, I find that even when not yellow stickered, french sticks and baguettes are only really good on the day of purchase and maybe one day after before they go quite stale.

A standard load of sliced white bread on the other hand is usually fine for several days past the best-before date, even when it is from the yellow sticker section. Bread that you heat before eating such as pitta and naan tends to last longer too.

Understanding The Difference Between Best Before End and Use By

Can I Freeze Yellow Sticker Bread?

Yes, yellow sticker bread (and most other yellow sticker bakery items) can be frozen. It’s probably best to freeze on the day of purchase but you can also freeze a day or two after depending on how fresh the bread seems.

We often actually freeze half a loaf and keep the rest out to use.

Before freezing, it’s worth checking items that haven’t been previously frozen – while it’s rare bread has, sometimes bakery items like cookies and doughnuts might have been. It should say this somewhere on the packaging.

What Is The Best Time Of Day For Yellow Sticker Bread?

I am a firm believer that you can find yellow sticker bargains at any time of day, but the best ones for bakery items such as bread tend to be in the late afternoon and early evening.

I tend to check for yellow sticker items no matter what time of day I shop just in case there are bargains to be had!

Things To Do With A Yellow Sticker Loaf of Bread

Here are some of my favourite things to do with a yellow sticker loaf of bread to ensure that it doesn’t end up going stale.

However, if you do have a stale loaf of bread, you might want to check out this post: What To Do With Stale Bread: 9 Awesome Ideas

1. Make Breadcrumbs

When making breadcrumbs, all the moisture is removed from the bread, meaning it will last much longer.

And once you’ve made breadcrumbs, they are pretty versatile as to what they can be used for. One of my favourite ways to use breadcrumbs is making homemade treacle tart but they are also perfect for making and breading your own chicken goujons, pork schnitzel and fish fingers.

Here is my recipe for making your own Garlic & Herb Breadcrumbs.

Top Tip: If you don’t have a food processor, leave the bread out overnight to go stale and then turn it into crumbs using a grater.

2. Freeze It

Okay, so I have already mentioned freezing a yellow sticker loaf of bread above, but I wanted to go into a little bit more detail about all the things that it can be used for.

If you don’t use much bread but do occasionally find yourself fancying some toast, most toasters have a cook from frozen setting, so you can easily grab a slice from the freezer without needing to have loaf out or waiting for the bread to defrost.

You could also freeze bread in smaller portions, eg enough for two sandwiches and defrost as and when needed.

How Long Does Bread Last In The Freezer?

A standard loaf of sliced bread should last for up to six months in the freezer. While it will still safe to eat after this time (as in there won’t be any build-up of mould or bacteria) the bread will probably start to show signs of being past its best, including the possibility of freezer burn.

3. Make & Freeze Sandwiches

Following on from the above, did you know you can make and freeze sandwiches?

While you do need to be careful about which fillings are used – for example, avoid adding salad or anything likely to go soggy, you can make up fillings such as ham and cheese, beef and mustard etc and just remove them when needed.

This can be a great idea in the summer if you don’t have access to a fridge to store sandwiches when the weather is warmer – they’ll defrost over the course of the morning and be a nice cool temperature when it’s time for lunch.

4. Turn It Into Bread and Butter Pudding

While you will need to add a few extra ingredients, bread and butter pudding is a great way to use up a yellow sticker loaf of bread.

Once baked, you can even freeze down a couple of portions ready to use at a later date – bread and butter pudding freezes really well.

I’m not a fan of the traditional version but you can find my recipe for a chocolate version here: Easy Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe

Another option could be these tasty Cinnamon French Toast Bites Recipe

5. Make Garlic Bread Slices For The Freezer

If you’ve found a yellow sticker crusty loaf of bread, making garlic bread for the freezer is a great way to get it used up.

Once made, the garlic bread can be cooked from frozen and is perfect for serving as a side with pasta dishes.

6. Donate It

Sometimes you might find yellow sticker bread with such a big discount it feels criminal to leave it on the shelves. I’ve seen loaves reduced to as little as 5p a loaf and if you can afford to, this is a great time to share the love.

While food banks don’t take donations of yellow sticker bread because of how shorted dated it is, you could give it to friends and family or try giving it away using the Olio app.

7. Make Croutons

Croutons are another way I love to use up yellow sticker bread and just like breadcrumbs, once made they last for ages as long as they are stored in an airtight container.