Toast bread

Start with a medium setting and toast for about 2–3 minutes, checking colour before the cycle ends. For thicker slices, use a lower setting or turn them once so the outside does not burn before the middle warms through.

Yes. Use the toaster’s defrost setting, or toast it for a little longer than fresh bread; separate slices first so they heat evenly. In a grill, toast from frozen under a moderate heat and turn once.

Keep the loaf sealed at room temperature and use it within a few days; refrigeration can make bread stale sooner. Freeze slices you will not use promptly, then toast them straight from frozen.

Use it for bread-and-butter pudding, French toast or a toasted cheese sandwich. For breadcrumbs, dry slices in a low oven until crisp, then crush or blitz them.

Yes: they are both sliced loaves, and toast bread works well for sandwiches as well as toast. Sandwich loaf has 7.06 g protein per 100 g, compared with 10 g in toast bread.

The fibre content is similar: toast bread has 4.5 g per 100 g, while white bread has 3.6 g. A topping such as egg, beans or nut butter adds more staying power than eating the bread plain.

Toasting mainly removes water, so a slice weighs less and can look more concentrated per 100 g; it does not remove a meaningful amount of carbohydrate. A slice’s total depends on its weight, not how dark you toast it.

Yes. Toast bread is simply sliced bread made for toasting, and it can be eaten straight from the loaf for sandwiches or with a spread.