word request - The action of getting bite-sized pieces of bread

Imagine you have a piece of loaf of bread or a pita bread, and you have a bowl of thick lumpy soup. You don't have a spoon, so you hold the bread in one hand, and you pinch the bread with your thumb and index fingers from the other hand to cut a small piece that is as big as a spoonful, or a bite-sized piece. You take that piece and dip it in the soup and then you eat it.

The questions are:

1- What do you call the process or action of taking from the bread with your thumb and index fingers?

2- What do you call that pinch of bread that is more or less as big as a spoonful?

Answer

Here are my answers, though the second one may not be as satisfying as you'd like:

1. 
   

   I always say that I tear off a piece of bread. I don't say cut because I'm not using a sharp tool (such as a knife or scissors).

   
   


2. 
   

   I call it a small piece of bread.

   
   

I'm afraid I can't come up with any better term than that.

I have to say, though, I love the Italian term Mari-Lou A gave in her comment, la scarpetta. I might just start saying that in English, even though I'm sure few people will understand me without explanation :-)