Frittata di pane (Bread Frittata)

Name: Frittata di pane (Bread Frittata)
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 100-150 g 3-1/2 to -5 oz stale bread, trimmed of its crust; 250 ml 1 cup milk; 6 eggs; 25 g 1 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese; A few sprigs of parsley (finely minced); Salt and pepper; Olive oil

Frank30 March 2019mains/secondi piatti, starters/antipasti36 Comments

This is yet another recipe using leftover bread, as a frittata di pane or Bread Frittata. Here the bread is trimmed of its crust, then cubed and soaked in milk and water until soft. The softened bread is then mixed with eggs, cheese and parsley to make a surprisingly tasty frittata.

Simple cooking in the cucina povera tradition that, as always, makes the most of its humble ingredients. If the bread is homemade and the eggs farm fresh, it’s really something quite special. And if you’re in the mood, you can dress it up in any number of ways.

Ingredients

100-150g (3-1/2 to -5 oz) stale bread, trimmed of its crust
250 ml (1 cup) milk
4 eggs
25g (1 oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
A few sprigs of parsley, finely minced
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Directions

Cut the bread into cubes and place in a bowl. Pour over the milk, then add enough water (or more milk if you’re feeling rich) to cover. Let the cubes soak in the milk until they are soft, about 30 minutes.

Place the soaked bread cubes in a colander to drain.

Beat the eggs with the cheese and parsley, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Squeeze the bread cubes of their liquid and add them to the bowl. Give it all a turn to mix everything well. Let rest for a few minutes to let the egg mixtures impregnate the bread.

Heat some olive oil in a non-stick or carbon steel skillet, add the eggs and proceed to fry one side, then the other, over gentle heat, following our instructions for making a frittata. The frittata should be thoroughly cooked through and nicely browned on both sides. You can test the frittata for doneness by piercing it with a paring knife; if it comes out clean, the frittata should be done.

Turn out the frittata on to a serving plate and let it cool a bit before serving. Bread Frittata is also quite nice at room temperature.

Notes on Bread Frittata

While this recipe is very forgiving, one thing you do need is the right kind of bread: as I mentioned at the top of the post, the very best kind is a pane casereccio you’ve made at home. But short of that, look for rustic loaf with a good, firm crumb. Sandwich bread won’t work; it will fall apart while it soaks.

As we explained in our master post on frittatas, there are various ways to cook a frittata. Classically, you flip it over to fry it on both sides, usually with the help of a plate or two. That’s the best method for this frittata in my opinion, especially if you want to get a nice and even, golden brown crust like this:

Be patient with your frittata di pane, brown it slowly so it has time to cook through. With its bread filling, this frittata may take a bit longer than other frittatas you may have made before.

If you really must, you can use a small “cheat” to save you the trouble of flipping: fry the frittata on the bottom until it is almost completely cooked through, then finish off the top under a hot broiler. Just know that the top will be a bit uneven, with the peaks browning faster than the valleys.

The measurements for making a Bread Frittata are very flexible. Some recipes call for just enough egg to bind the bread together—which turns this frittata into something quite close indeed to French toast. Others call for just a couple of slices of bread for six eggs, for a more classic frittata. And everything in between. This recipe falls in the middle of the pack, and I like the way it produces a firm, slightly “bouncy” texture that very much tastes of bread but is still recognizably a frittata. But it’s up to you—and, of course, how much bread and eggs you have on hand.

Variations

Personally, I really enjoy the simplicity of a frittata di pane just as it is. But if you’d like to gussy it up, there are lots of ways to do it. You could add a dollop of ricotta or bits of mozzarella or another meltable cheese you fancy, to your egg mixture. You could throw in a few cherry or grape tomatoes split in halves or quarters. Or some vegetables like mushrooms or zucchini, sliced and sautéed in olive oil. Or if you’re feeling carnivorous, some sautéed sausage or pancetta. And instead of minced parsley, you could substitute another fresh herb—a few basil leaves or perhaps some mint.

Frittatas are a welcoming food. You can add just about anything that strikes your fancy. Again, it’s up to you, but as always, do try to keep things in balance.

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