Bread, especially freshly-baked loaves with few preservatives, can go stale in the blind of an eye. Sourdough is soft and flavorful when fresh, but there's no need to throw it away once it turns dense and hard; instead, follow pro baker Apollonia Poilâne's lead and turn your lunchtime sandwich loaf into a delicious breakfast.

Poilâne explains that a delicious granola can be made using stale, hard sourdough. Just combine the sourdough with days-old rye bread, pulse or blend the chunks into a breadcrumb-like consistency, then bake them with nuts, salt, puffed rice, and honey for a homemade granola that prevents food waste.

Breadcrumbs made from stale sourdough can also be ground very finely and used to thicken fillings in pastries, or you can make coarse crumbs to add extra crunch on top of dinner rolls. One of the easiest preparations is to make croutons with your stale bread, or go over the top and make some homemade panzanella or bread pudding.