Anytime a recipe calls for regular breadcrumbs I prefer to make my own. They taste fresher and less dry than their container counterpart. I haven't always done this: Several years ago I needed breadcrumbs and reached into my pantry for the store bought crumbs. However, I couldn't remember the last time I used them! Thus, I tossed them out and decided to experiment with bread and the food processor.
The texture was so light, crumbly, and crunchy that I've never returned to the premade kind. Once you learn the simple technique, you can jazz them up with all sorts — spices, finely grated cheese, nuts, minced herbs — of seasonings. To see how insanely easy it is to make your own breadcrumbs, read more.
- Select a type of bread. White, wheat, sourdough, brioche — whatever you have on hand is fine. Tear several slices or a large chunk into small pieces. Generally speaking, 9 slices of white bread will make about 3 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs.
- Toss the bread pieces into a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form.
- Transfer to a dish and use according to the recipe.
Voila. Instant breadcrumbs! Making these is a great way to use up old bread. Have you ever made your own breadcrumbs?
Buti
Levi's
Elizabeth and James
Doesn't the bread need to be stale or old for it to work properly? I can't imagine fresh bread being good for breadcrumbs...
1I've made bread crumbs out of bread that's a bit on the drier, stiffer side. But as for entirely desiccated nubbins of very hard baguettes, I've never found that chucking them in the food processor does any good. At that point, I put them in a heavy-duty ziplock bag and bunch of whacks at them with a soup can.
One advantage is knowing what goes into your bread crumbs. A friend of mine is allergic to potato starch, and a surprising number of commercially produced bread crumbs contain potato starch.
2Yum!
3I add spices to mine- oregano, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, etc.
4After adding herbs, if I need them to be drier, I usually put them in a low-heat oven and let them crisp up. These are the best on egg-dredged chicken!
5I don't have a food processor, but I make breadcrumbs by putting toasted bread pieces in a big baggie and using a rolling pin to smash them up. It works pretty well...they aren't quite as fine as if you'd used a food processor, but they're pretty close.
6I also toast my bread first and I just made a bunch on Friday. I made Italian and spicy sorta Tex-Mex for when we do mac 'n cheese, also just plain ones. Delish!
7This is how I use the heel of the bread loaves, since no one in my house really likes to eat them.
8I use the food processor attachment for my stick blender to make breadcrumbs...I have some dried, packaged breadcrumbs in my kitchen cupboard maybe I should throw them away...I can't remember the last time I used them!
9The heel of loaves. huh. that's the second time I've heard it that way. I use the term "the butt end of the bread" :)and I LOVE the ends. I fight over it with my sister.
But anyways, for bread crumbs, my house always has dried bread :\ so i toss em in the ziploc and smash em with my rolling pin. i should do it more often. better than running out to the store to buy new ones.
10We make a lot of bread in our bread machine, and when it starts to go stale, I leave the bag open for a day or a half and I use my processor to make breadcrumbs, too; I stick them in the freezer, and to make sure they're good and dry when I want them, I open the bag and leave them out for an hour or two before I want them. Works great!
11Baker of Paris is the best french bread Party! My uncle and cousin drive delivery trucks for them so I get it all the time.
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