Melba Toast from Stale Bread: Like Corner Bakery Sweet Crisps

Sneak Preview: Make this Melba Toast from stale unsliced bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar before baking. These are similar to the sweet crisps sold at Corner Bakery Cafe.

homemade melba toasts sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and baked in the oven.Pin

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Have you ever noticed how quickly homemade yeast bread goes stale? When comparing homemade to store-bought, do you ever wonder what they put in commercially-made bread to make it last so long?

Here’s an excellent solution for whatever bread you don’t eat in the first 24 hours.

I did this with my Rosemary Bread Machine Recipe with Cranberries and Pecans made with my bread machine. Do it with any un-sliced loaf, either plain or sweet.

Four reasons to try this Melba Toast Recipe:

  1. Making toast prevents waste when a loaf of bread is too stale to eat but not moldy.
  2. It makes the bread seem to go further when sliced thin.
  3. Melba toast lasts for days.
  4. Each slice contains fewer calories than a regular slice of bread–even less if you skip the butter and sugar on top. 

Happy Bakers Speak Up

“Just made some, and they are yummy!” –ELISABETH

Cinnamon Melba Toast in a dishPin
I made this easy Melba toast recipe with my sweet banana yeast bread loaf. You can make it with your bread machine.

Want to know a secret? I hid half of this loaf to have some left to make sweet melba toasts. (Don’t tell on me, please.) They are as good as a cookie!


How To Make Melba Toast Recipe Using Leftover Bread

Slicing stale bread with a sharp serrated knife to make melba toastsPin
1. Thinly slice bread about ⅛ to ¼-inch thick using a cutting board.

In other words, cut the bread as thinly as you can without turning the bread into crumbles. (I leave the crusts on the bread. However, if you don’t want a crust, it is quicker to cut the crust off of the entire loaf before you slice the bread.)

Bread slices arranged on a baking tray.Pin
2. Arrange the slices of bread on a parchment paper-covered baking tray or cookie sheet.
Spraying slices with spray butter.Pin
3. Spray butter or olive oil on one side of each slice of bread. You could also brush the tops with melted butter.
Sprinkle bread slices with sugar and cinnamon Pin
4. Sprinkle with two tablespoons of granulated sugar + 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
sprinkling slices with sanding sugar or coarse sugarPin
5. Sprinkle the tops with sanding sugar or coarse sugar.
Baked Melba toast in a serving dish.Pin
6. Bake at 325˚F until the toasts are golden brown and melba toasts won’t bend.

Since it’s impossible to slice the bread evenly by hand, you can expect some slices to brown more quickly than others. Watch closely when the bread starts to brown so you can pull out the ones that are done.


Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best type of bread to use?

Use this recipe with white or whole wheat bread with a close crumb.

What is the secret to cutting even slices?

It gets easier with practice. A sharp knife (serrated) and stale bread are imperative.

Can I bake these in my toaster oven or air fryer?

Yes. Although you can’t bake as many toasts at once, they will bake faster.

How do I store melba toasts?

Store what you can eat in 2-3 days in a plastic bag on the counter. Otherwise, they freeze well for a month.

How do I make melba toast without sugar and cinnamon?

Follow the directions and leave out the cinnamon and sugar. Delicious with jelly, cream cheese, or regular cheese.

Parting thoughts: I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand to waste good bread. So try this delicious way to salvage leftover or stale bread. We like this solution, too: Bread Crumb Pudding: A Delicious Solution for Stale Bread.


Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.

melba toast recipe with sugar and cinnamon on topPin
Yield: 20 2 slices

Melba Toast Recipe with Sugar and Cinnamon

These melba toasts resemble the cinnamon toast crisps sold at the Corner Bakery.

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Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • Slightly stale loaf of uncut sandwich or sweet bread
  • 1 squirt spray butter per slice
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or cardamom
  • Sprinkle of coarse-textured sanding sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 325˚F.
  • Slice a stale loaf of bread (because it is firmer) as thin as possible. Try for 1/8 inch.
  • Arrange slices on a cookie sheet so they don’t overlap. Save time. Use a silicone mat or parchment paper on the tray so you won’t have to wash it.
  • Spray each slice with one or two squirts of spray butter.
  • Sprinkle lightly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  • To make them sweeter, sprinkle with sanding or coarse sugar on top.
  • Bake at 325˚F for about 15+ minutes.

Notes

The time to bake will vary greatly depending on the thickness of each slice. Some may be ready before others, so keep an eye on them. They should be dry, crisp, and golden brown. Press on them with your finger. If they bounce back under pressure, they need a bit more time. If they start to get browner than golden, they are getting too done and will begin to taste a bit burned.

Nutrition

Serving: 2slices | Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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12 Comments

  1. Daina Janitis says:

    Paula, I’m going to be using your rye bread recipe to make something like these. Three nieces and I just returned form a trip to Latvia (our family’s homeland) and discovered that the most popular snack over there is “rye toasts”- often served with a dipping sauce of some kind – and their marvellous beer. (Although I just experimented with my first batch of kvass – delightful!) I think “grauzdini” would be perfect made with your rye bread this way but the main flavouring ingredients woudl be kosher coarse salt and very finely minced garlic.

    1. I love your idea for rye toasts. Cut them thin and I think they will turn out great.

  2. Elisabeth says:

    Just made some, and they are yummy! What is the best way to store them?

    1. Hi Elisabeth, Freeze them in a plastic bag or container. If I didn’t put some in the freezer, I would eat them all in a day. 🙂

  3. My breads keep well in the fridge in a plastic container just made for bread, wrapped in grocery produce bags. I have the 12″ long narrow loaf pans, so this works out perfectly for storage. I always liked the bread I was getting from my Zojirushi but for the bottom few slices, and storage in the fridge was also a problem, and the slices SO large, so now I just use the dough cycle, shape my loaf and put it on the bottom shelf of my dish cabinet that has a fluorescent light attached on the underside and in 15 minutes I come back, turn the oven to 400 degrees, and return in another 15 minutes at most and put in the oven for 25 minutes and turns out just really great bread.

    1. Love my Zoji too Julia.

  4. What a terrific idea! I am definitely going to try this. In fact, I have a loaf of chocolate chip banana bread in the freezer that my sister-in-law gave us. Hubby isn’t crazy about chocolate chips in his banana bread but I’ll bet he’d like it made into crispies! BTW, I came here via a tweet from Kalyn’s Kitchen!

    1. Hi Cheryl, These are addictive with a little cinnamon and sugar on them. Just warning you. 🙂

  5. For leftover breads, I put garlic spreads on them and toast them till their crisp for a good serving of garlic toasts. Everybody at home loves them, and no bread goes to waste. It’s both healthy and delicious.

    1. Jaeny, Why didn’t I think of this? Great idea! Have some bread in the freezer right now that would be perfect for this. Thanks so much for writing.

  6. I put a tsp. of lemon juice in all homemade bread recipes. It keeps it fluffier longer. I also slice and put in a container in the fridge. like this idea for a snack, especially since it’s sliced thin.