Bread Bake with Cheese and Tomatoes Recipe
This bread bake with cheese and tomatoes is a great way to use up stale bread, often saving breakfast or dinner in Polish homes. It tastes a bit like a cross between oven-baked toast and Italian bruschetta, only in a family-sized version to cut into squares. It’s a dish that works well at the weekend, when bread from the whole week is still lying around in the bread bin.
This bread bake turns stale bread into something between a savoury pudding and cheesy oven toast. Juicy tomatoes, herbs and stretchy cheese give it a slightly Mediterranean character, but the whole thing is made from typical “Polish leftovers” from the bread bin. It’s a very homely way to avoid food waste that at the same time tastes like a little weekend celebration.
Chef's tips
Bread that is 1–2 days old works best – bread that is too fresh will fall apart, while very dry bread needs to be soaked longer in the egg-and-milk mixture. When mixing the bread with the liquid, don’t press it too hard so you keep some structure and end up with a soft interior and a slightly crisp top after baking. If the tomatoes are very watery, it’s worth gently squeezing them, as excess juice can make the centre too wet.
How to serve
Serve this bake warm for a late, lazy Sunday breakfast with a mug of black coffee or tea. It goes perfectly with simple sliced cucumber with salt or a mix of salad leaves with a light dressing if you serve it for dinner. It’s also a good idea for an “emergency” snack when friends drop by on a Friday evening and you only have eggs, cheese and a few tomatoes in the fridge.
Ingredients
- bread - 300 g
- milk - 250 ml
- egg - 3 piece
- yellow cheese - 150 g
- tomato - 3 piece
- chives - 2 tablespoons
- butter - 20 g
- garlic - 1 clove
- oregano - 1 teaspoon
- salt
- pepper
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Grease a baking dish with butter.
- Cut the bread into cubes of about 2 cm. If you are using rolls or baguette, do the same.
- Remove the hard cores around the stems from the tomatoes and dice them into medium cubes. If they are very juicy, gently squeeze out the excess juice.
- Peel the garlic and finely chop it or press it through a garlic press.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, add the garlic, oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until smooth.
- Add the diced bread to the bowl and gently mix so that each piece soaks up the egg-and-milk mixture. Set aside for 5 minutes to let the bread soften.
- Add half of the grated cheese and half of the diced tomatoes to the bowl and gently mix with a spoon.
- Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and tomatoes.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden and the egg mixture is fully set (when pierced, the centre should not be runny).
- After baking, sprinkle the bake with chopped chives and leave for 5 minutes before slicing so the portions are easier to remove.
Storage
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or in a dry frying pan over low heat so the top stays slightly crisp and the centre warms through.
