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The Turkish pantry

Bread (soft white, inside only)

The soft interior of white wheat bread is the bread form used for tarator.

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The soft interior of baked white wheat bread, weighed before soaking for tarator. Not dry breadcrumbs.

Torn pieces of soft white bread crumb, without crust, piled on a white plate on a marble table beside a blue checked cloth, with a small bottle of olive oil and a sea view through a window behind.

Types & forms

Soft crumb

Remove crust when directed and tear the interior.

Whole slices · comparison

May need trimming before weighing.

Dry breadcrumbs · comparison

Less water and different absorption; not an equal-weight substitute.

What to look for when buying

  • Choose plain white wheat bread without seeds, sweet fillings or strong flavorings.
  • Check milk, egg and other allergens on the actual loaf.

Prepare & cook

  • Weigh the soft crumb before soaking.
  • Soak and squeeze only as the sauce method directs.

Store it well

  • Keep wrapped as labeled and use before mold develops.
  • Freeze useful portions; discard moldy bread including unseen affected areas.

Substitutions depend on the dish

Dry crumbs

Require an adjusted sauce recipe because their absorption differs.

Wholemeal crumb

Changes color, flavor and texture.

Nutrition

White bread, including soft bread crumbs [1]

Per 100 g edible portion
NutrientAmount
Energy266 kcal
Protein8.85 g
Total fat3.33 g
Saturated fat0.7 g
Carbohydrate49.4 g
Dietary fiber2.7 g
Total sugars5.67 g
Sodium490 mg
Cholesterol0 mg
Calcium144 mg
Iron3.61 mg
Potassium126 mg
Vitamin D0 µg

USDA explicitly includes soft bread crumbs in this record. Not dry breadcrumbs; crust removal and individual recipes can change composition. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.

[1] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Bread, white, commercially prepared (includes soft bread crumbs)

Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.

At the Turkish table

Soft white crumb binds our walnut tarator; dry crumbs would change its consistency.

Cook with Bread (soft white, inside only)

Golden battered mussel skewers with beige walnut-bread tarator and lemon wedges on a ceramic plate
İstanbul style

Fried Mussels

Crisp battered mussels on skewers, served with garlicky walnut-bread tarator and lemon. Mussel meats in a light sparkling-water batter, served with a bread-and-walnut tarator. Midye tava is associated with İstanbul’s coastal food culture; it is distinct from rice-stuffed midye dolma.