When you open your refrigerator, you see deadlines: Eat the asparagus by Tuesday, drink the milk by Thursday, reheat the leftover pot roast by Friday. So isn't it nice to know that when it comes to bread, any kind of bread―crusty, doughy, grainy―you have a little breathing room?

If a loaf is past its peak, you can slice it and throw it in the freezer for up to three months. Or process the loaf into bread crumbs and store them in the pantry for about three days. But your best option is to transform stale bread into one of the following healthy dinners or indulgent desserts. You may never want your bread fresh again.

Recipes

• Lebanese Bread Salad
• Cheese, Onion, and Bread Soufflé
• Ribollita
• Warm Bread With Tomato and Ham
• Chocolate Bread Pudding
• Apple Pan Charlotte (shown)