This is a great way to use up bread at the end of the week and not waste any precious sourdough. This was inspired by the bread and butter ice cream I made for one of my early Supper Clubs in collaboration with The Dusty Knuckle.
Toasting / caramelising the breadcrumbs with butter and honey is an essential step here, so please don’t skip it. You will need to toast them in advance to ensure they have cooled before adding them to the custard so as not to deflate all the air in the mixture.
Please do not forget to add the cinnamon to the breadcrumbs – it gives a nostalgic cinnamon toast crunch tang that will keep you coming back for more.
This recipe makes approximately 10-12 generous slices when I make it in a loaf tin (my preferential freezing and serving method), but you can also scoop it straight out of a container or tin into ice cream balls. (If you decide to scoop rather than slice there is no need to line the loaf tin).
For the Base
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 75g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- pinch of Malden salt
- 300ml (1 1/4 cups) double (heavy) cream
- 100g (1/2 cup) creme fraiche (or use all heavy cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 75ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
For the Sweet Breadcrumb “Stir-In”
- 250g (90z), approx 2-3 slices leftover bread
- 45g (3tbsp) salted butter
- 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Make the breadcrumbs”
- Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Break up the bread into corn kernel (or smaller) sized pieces.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet/frying pan. Once melted, add the breadcrumbs and stir in the sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet so that the breadcrumb mixture is in one layer.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes or so until the mixture is well toasted and caramelised.
- Allow to cool completely before stirring through (this can be made a few days in advance and kept in an airtight container).
- Make the base:
- Line your loaf tin with a double layer of cling film in a criss cross fashion, making sure there is a generous overhang at all ends so that you can fold it over the top of the Semifreddo before freezing.
- In a medium sized heatproof bowl set over a simmering pan of water, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, honey and salt until pale and thick (about 4-6 minutes) and sugar is completely dissolved. Make sure the simmering water does not touch the bottom of the bowl or it will scramble the eggs.
- Place aside to cool slightly while you whisk the cream.
- In a large bowl (or in a stand mixer), whisk the cream and creme fraiche together until they form soft peaks. Be careful not to over-whip.
- Give the egg mixture one more quick whisk and gently fold into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Fold in the olive oil at the end until fully incorporated followed by the baked and cooled breadcrumbs.
- Pour into your prepared tin and fold over the extra pieces of cling film so that the semifreddo is completely covered. Freeze overnight.
- Remove from the freezer about 5 minutes before you want to slice and serve. Turn the semifreddo upside down onto a cutting board and completely remove the cling film. Slice and serve.
- …
Have you made this dish?
Let me know what you think, share your efforts and any tweaks you made to the recipe on Instagram, don’t forget to tag #BuildingFeasts or email me on info@buildingfeasts.com
