As the sun goes down, the call to Maghrib prayers resounds through the air, and for that split second, nothing else matters but the first bite. The spirituality of iftar is significant but the satisfaction of breaking the fast with something familiar and warm also contributes to its sacredness. The mad dash through the kitchen before Iftar, though? Very little.

Cooking complex meals every day is a chore that even the most committed home cooks secretly dread due to juggling work, errands, and last-minute supermarket runs. Bread, an unassuming and underappreciated kitchen staple, steps in to rescue the situation. Not just any bread, mind you; it has to be fresh, tender, and adaptable enough to work its magic in your iftar spread.

During Ramadan, try All Time Bread for the first time if you have not tried it for anything more than a fast buttered toast. Just think about it: it's quick to make, can turn into anything from a savoury treat to a sweet treat, and is light yet full.

A simple improvement for your iftar

Quick fixes that don't feel that way are what we're going to discuss. Shahi Tukra is a syrupy, golden treat that has been enjoyed by Ramadan revellers for many years. The classic recipe calls for rabri cheese spread over slices of deep-fried bread soaked in aromatic sugar syrup. When time is of the essence, who has the luxury of deep-frying? Toasted All Time Bread works just as well as the original, and you won't miss the oil at all in this guilt-free alternative. All it takes is a few toppings, like crushed nuts and condensed milk, to make this dish taste like a throwback without the work.

Shahi Tukra

Ingredients

4 slices of All Time Bread

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

1 cup milk

¾ cup evaporated milk

2½ teaspoons cardamom powder

An assortment of chopped nuts, such as almonds and pistachios

¼ cup clarified butter

Method

Sauté the bread slices in ghee or butter until they get brown and crisp. Simply boil some water with sugar in a saucepan to make sugar syrup. Cook, covered, over low heat for 5 minutes. Simmer the cardamom powder, condensed milk, and milk in a separate saucepan over low heat until the mixture slightly thickens. Place the toasted bread on a serving dish after a brief dip in the sugar syrup. After the milk mixture has warmed, pour it over the toast and top with chopped nuts. Just let it a few minutes to sit before serving to let the flavours combine.

Bread pizza, the crowd-pleaser, comes up next. A game-changer for when you're in need and craving something easy to whip up in a flash or for when unannounced visitors show up right before iftar. Put some oregano, cheese, leftover chicken, tomato sauce, and bread on a baking sheet. How did things turn out? Something beautiful that didn't necessitate nearly as much work as setting the table.

Bread Pizza

Ingredients

4 slices All Time Bread

¼ cup sauce, either tomato or pizza

¼ cup shredded chicken, or lean meat of your choosing

½ cup shredded cheese, preferably mozzarella or cheddar

1 tbsp oregano

½ tsp chilli flakes, optional

Method

Bring a covered pan to a temperature of 180°C (350°F) or preheat the oven. Make sure that every slice of bread is coated with tomato sauce. Pile on the shredded chicken or whatever protein you like most. Top with a liberal amount of cheese, then top with oregano and chilli flakes. To melt the cheese, bake for five to seven minutes, or cook covered over low heat. Warm it up and savour the cheesy deliciousness.

Magic happens in bread pudding for people who prefer comfort food. After a long day of fasting, nothing beats a warm, custardy dessert made with bread and a few common ingredients like eggs, milk, sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon.

Bread Pudding

Ingredients

4-5 pieces of All Time Bread

2/3 cup of milk

3 eggs

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

3/8 tsp cinnamon powder

For garnish, you can add chopped nuts or a handful of raisins

Spreadable butter

Method

Start by greasing a baking dish with butter and preheating the oven to 180°C (350°F). Slice the bread into little bits and distribute them equally over the plate. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, cinnamon, sugar, eggs, and vanilla essence. The bread should be soaked before the sauce is poured over it. Allow it to sit for a while so it can absorb. Chopped nuts or raisins make a textural topping. Toast for 30–35 minutes, or until browned and firm. Warm it up and top it with honey or condensed milk, if you like.

Even if we look forward to a lavish Iftar feast every evening, life usually has other ideas. The spread will range from an elaborate one day to a humbler one the next, but it will always taste like home. It makes no difference whether you have a dependable option in your kitchen, nevertheless.

Let us, then, during Ramadan, appreciate the grace of minimalism. Let's reduce the mayhem without sacrificing taste. Above all else, let us not forget that the most delicious meals are often the ones that require the least amount of effort to prepare.

What if, however, a little piece of All Time Bread serves as the foundation for that meal? Even better!