Tear off pieces of bread by hand rather than cutting with a knife, and rest torn pieces on the tablecloth beside your plate rather than on the plate itself.
Bread is meant to accompany each course (used to push food onto your fork, or to wipe up sauce) rather than eaten alone before the meal starts.
- Tear off bite-size pieces before eating them — don’t bite directly into a whole piece of bread at the table.
- Utensils go the opposite way: rest your knife and fork on your plate when you pause, never directly on the tablecloth.