These small homemade bread crumbs can greatly enhance your meal! They make for the ideal crispy final touch on casseroles, salads, and more. Follow this recipe to create typical golden bread crumbs, or incorporate the optional seasonings, and your kitchen will take on the aroma of a top-notch Italian restaurant.
This easy recipe offers significantly more flavor than store-bought varieties and maintains freshness for months. Choose your preferred type of bread, whether it’s your beloved crusty sourdough or whole wheat sandwich bread. If you have leftover bread that’s becoming stale, transform it into bread crumbs to save for later (or croutons or French toast)!
Bread Crumb Tips
You’ll find a concise instructional video along with the complete recipe below. Here’s how to create the finest bread crumbs!
Transform bread into crumbs using your food processor or blender. Indeed, a blender works! Fresh or slightly stale bread is fine (refer to the note at the end of this section). Process until the bread is broken down into the smallest pieces—if uncertain, process for a longer duration.
Butter performs much better than olive oil. My bread crumbs clumped considerably more when they made contact with olive oil, and the olive oil crumbs became soft over time after cooking, whereas the buttered bread crumbs remained pleasantly crisp.
Incorporate the bread crumbs at the ideal moment. Melt the butter in the skillet and allow the foam to nearly dissipate, then check the temperature by dropping in a few bread crumbs. If they sizzle on contact, the butter is sufficiently hot for frying the crumbs.
Distribute the freshly cooked bread crumbs onto a plate to cool. This halts the cooking process before they can burn and provides them some space so they maintain their crisp texture.
Note: Many recipes recommend deliberately drying out your bread before using it (methods include allowing them to sit overnight on the counter or baking on a rack at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes). I successfully prepared bread crumbs with store-bought sandwich bread, making this step unnecessary unless your bread is particularly moist or soft.
Uses for Bread Crumbs
These delicious bread crumbs would work wonderfully as a breading, of course. Alternatively, use them as a crunchy topping on your casseroles and gratins, like my Better Broccoli Casserole and Creamy Roasted Brussels Sprout and Quinoa Gratin.
Think about these bread crumbs when you wish to introduce a crunchy dimension to pasta dishes, including mac and cheese. They’re also excellent for salads, providing a lighter option compared to croutons. Try them on my Caesar Salad or Lemony Kale Salad.
If you enjoy getting creative with your meals, here are some ingredients that especially benefit from a sprinkle of golden bread crumbs:
– Arugula
– Asparagus
– Brussels sprouts
– Cauliflower
– Cheese: goat, Parmesan, pecorino
– Fennel
– Green beans
– Kale
– Lentils
– Mushrooms
– Pistachios
– Parsley
– Pesto
– Tomatoes
– Zucchini
Bread Crumbs Recipe
These toasted, golden bread crumbs are the ideal finishing touch! They taste far superior to store-bought versions. If your recipe requests seasoned bread crumbs, be sure to add the optional seasonings, or omit them for maximum flexibility. Recipe yields approximately 1 ¼ cups and stores well for several months.
Instructions:
1. To make the breadcrumbs: Tear your bread into 2-inch pieces and place them in a food processor or blender. If desired, mix in the garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Process until the bread is finely crumbled. If uncertain, process for a longer time!
2. Set a large plate near the stove for later use. In a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter until the foam is almost gone, swirling the pan a couple of times for even distribution. Ensure the pan’s temperature is right by dropping in a few bread crumbs—if they sizzle, it’s ready.
3. Add the bread crumbs. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly and breaking up any clumps along the way until the crumbs are crisping up and turning golden in spots.
4. Move the bread crumbs to the plate and spread them out evenly to cool. The crumbs will become even crisper as they cool down. Season with salt to taste before using. Once fully cooled, place any leftovers in a storage bag, gently expel any excess air, and seal. Store bread crumbs at room temperature for up to 3 months (inspect and taste before use to ensure quality).
Notes:
*Types of bread: Use sourdough, baguettes, or sandwich bread (regular or whole wheat).