bread sauce: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal-informal culinary register, regional/culinary.
Quick answer
What does “bread sauce” mean?
A traditional British sauce made from milk, butter, breadcrumbs, onion, cloves, and seasonings, served warm with roast poultry or game.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A traditional British sauce made from milk, butter, breadcrumbs, onion, cloves, and seasonings, served warm with roast poultry or game.
In modern cooking, any sauce primarily using breadcrumbs or soaked bread as a thickener, or any sauce conceptually borrowing from the traditional method (e.g., "Middle Eastern bread sauce with yoghurt and walnuts").
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Predominantly a British and Commonwealth culinary term. In American English, it is largely unknown except in cookbooks focusing on traditional British cuisine or by culinary enthusiasts. No direct American equivalent exists.
Connotations
In British English: connotations of traditional, festive (especially Christmas), home-cooked, comfort food, sometimes seen as old-fashioned. In American English: typically no connotation, or seen as a curious British specialty.
Frequency
High frequency in British culinary contexts, especially around holidays; extremely low to zero frequency in general American English.
Grammar
How to Use “bread sauce” in a Sentence
[Subject: chef/cook] makes/prepares bread sauce for [Object: poultry].[Subject: bread sauce] accompanies/goes with [Object: roast chicken/game].Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Potential use in historical or cultural studies of food, or in culinary arts programmes.
Everyday
Used in home cooking discussions, recipe sharing, and meal planning, especially in the UK around festive periods.
Technical
Used in professional cookery and recipe books to denote a specific sauce with a standardised method.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bread sauce”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bread sauce”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bread sauce”
- Referring to it as a 'dip' or 'spread'.
- Confusing it with bread *and* butter sauce (a different thing).
- Assuming it is a sweet sauce.
- Using 'bread sauce' as a verb (e.g., 'to bread sauce the chicken').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Bread sauce is traditionally served warm or hot.
Yes, it reheats well, often with a little extra milk to loosen the consistency.
Fresh or dried breadcrumbs, which absorb the infused milk to create a thick, porridge-like consistency.
Conceptually, they share bread as a base, but they are different: stuffing is cooked inside the bird or as a separate baked dish, while bread sauce is a creamy, pourable sauce served on the side.
A traditional British sauce made from milk, butter, breadcrumbs, onion, cloves, and seasonings, served warm with roast poultry or game.
Bread sauce is usually formal-informal culinary register, regional/culinary. in register.
Bread sauce: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbrɛd ˌsɔːs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbrɛd ˌsɔs/ or /ˈbrɛd ˌsɑs/ (if known). Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None directly. The term itself is literal.]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'BREAD' as the thickener, not the side dish. It's a SAUCE made from BREAD, for your roast bird, not bread you dip in sauce.
Conceptual Metaphor
SAUCE IS A BLANKET/CUSHION: Bread sauce is seen as a soft, comforting, enveloping accompaniment to the sharpness of roast meat.
Practice
Quiz
In which cuisine is 'bread sauce' a well-known, traditional element?