How To Make Bread Crumbs
One of the first thing I learned when I was a prep cook at the local country club was how to make bread crumbs. Making bread crumbs is so easy. It is a great way to use up the heels of the bread or bread that has gone stale. It may be a no brainer for some people but up until then, I was just tossing out stale bread and the heels of the loaf. One of the first thing we did at the opening of our shift was gather the leftover rolls from the night before. There was a sheet tray on top of the ovens and it was HOT up there. The leftover bread and rolls were put on the sheet tray. This was the perfect environment to further dry out bread.
Pro Tip: Save your pieces of bread in a freezer bag until you are ready to make your crumbs.
Homemade Bread Crumbs
Break up your bread into pieces and pop them in your food processor.
You are welcome to combine wheat, white, seeded and any other bread products in your homemade bread crumbs. The different flavors and textures will make your homemade breadcrumbs unique and delicious.
Pulse until a fine crumb.
If you don’t have a food processor a large hole cheese grater will work as well. The food processor makes quick work of the project and the cheese grater will give you a larger crumb to the homemade breadcrumbs.
Toasting Bread Crumbs
Spread on a cookie sheet. Line the cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper to make your life easier.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes (depending on how many crumbs are on the pan). Less crumbs, less time.
Bread Crumbs Recipe
Stir and pop back in the oven for 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.
The idea is that you want ALL of the moisture to evaporate from the bread crumbs. If moisture is still in the crumbs when you store them, you run the rist of having mold form in them.
Toasteded Breadcrumbs
Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
It is just a few simple steps and you have made your own bread crumbs. You have control of the product, the conditions the finish product was created and you have pinched pennies by using up all your bread.
Recipes that use homemade bread crumbs
Arelis Cintron says
June 7, 2013 at 8:30 amThats a great idea, then you can also flavor them the way you want as well to kick up your recipes to another level. I like the tip of freezing your left over pieces of bread. Do you know if you do freeze them how long should they defrost for? I’d think maybe until room temperature so they are completely thawed out.
Sarah says
June 12, 2013 at 7:42 amArelis:
You are correct. Just leave them on the counter till they are thawed. I would say 15 minutes depending on the room temperature. I love that you can add herbs to them to have your own ‘secret’ blend of bread crumbs.