** Serving Bread Frugal Foods and Stylish Recipes Professional & University Dining Etiquette

Over the Counter Etiquette
by Harold Almon baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin

Bread is not a first course. Bread is to be present at a meal as a sign of hospitality. Bread served at or to a dinner table is to be crusted: a biscuit, a bun, muffin, or a roll. You can buy microwaveable frozen dinner breads. (You can buy as few as four.) You can serve whole wheat bread. That being said, you can learn to make or where to buy or get good corn bread. karats


Bread can be placed center a place setting on or underneath a folded napkin. It may be placed on the bread and butter plate. It could be placed unbuttered on a tablecloth.

Formally, bread is to be eaten when the main course is served. Frugally speaking, you might wait to put bread on the table until the main course is in place, when your guests are young. You could find yourself serving a bread as a first course and a course later called “Some more.”

Bread served as a loaf is to be the only bread cut at table. The host can grasp with a clean napkin and cut it in. One cut half is to be turned, and from the large side a few thin slices are to be cut. Bread is to remain at table until the correction of it: just before serving dessert.

A bread holder, basket, or tray is to be used to hold bread that is to be passed. It is placed on the table where space allows.

Butter is to be served in a butter crock with a butter knife (with a point) set on a table without an underlying plate. A butter knife is to be used to serve butter to a plate.

At a banquet, butter can be cut and shaped. It may be whipped with or without ice and a dollop placed on a bread and butter plate. Butter may be whipped with a spice such as garlic added to it.

Bread and butter plates are omitted at a truly formal meal.

Butter is to be omitted from this service. Appropriate Breads can be served.

Butter for cooking can be unsalted.