Though I am always excited to have dressing or stuffing with my turkey on Thanksgiving Day, the task of cutting so much bread into small pieces is not something I relish. This is particularly true given how many other cooking-related duties are on my list when preparing such a large meal. The following tips are among the best I have found when it comes to making this job go more quickly and with much greater ease.
This is a collaborative post.
The Old Method of Bread Cutting
In the old days, I would cut an entire bread loaf in crosswise fashion to make sandwich-sized slices. Then, I would cut those slices into smaller cubes. The problem with this method is that you typically end up having to cut a great quantity of individual slices. Though stacking the slices can help speed things along, the job still takes longer than I would like.
An Innovative New Technique
Rather than making crosswise cuts, now I cut my loaf in a lengthwise manner into long portions. Next, I stack several of the large pieces together and proceed to cut my smaller cubes. The length of the pieces leads to a smaller number of necessary knife strokes, making the entire preparation of stuffing go much faster. This is how it is done:
1. Choose a bread-specific knife. Serrated knives are best, and the longer the better. Check out these top-rated models. This makes slicing through crusts and crumb easier.
2. Make sure to trim the loaf. Take a thin cut off both ends of the bread so that the loaf remains stable for the rest of the cutting process.
3. Make a crosswise cut across the halfway point in the loaf. Having two small hunks will ease the task of cutting the rest in straight lines parallel to one another.
4. Make your plank cuts. Put one half of the loaf on its end and draw the knife in a downward motion to make the slices. Do the same thing with the second half.
5. Complete the cutting process by making small cubes out of the stacked slices.
This technique cuts down on the sawing you will need to do overall. Save yourself time by using the loaf’s length in the most efficient possible manner!
*Disclaimer – This is a collaborative post. This post has been pre-written.
