How to Make Breadcrumbs: 3 Tips for Making Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are a versatile ingredient made by grinding, crushing, or blitzing dried bread into small granules. These crumbs come in many shapes and sizes, from the fine breadcrumbs you can find in most grocery stores to light and airy Japanese panko breadcrumbs to the coarse crumbs in homemade varieties.

Croutons are a popular salad topping that you can make with stale or leftover bread, but they are much larger than breadcrumbs.

You can use breadcrumbs in a broad array of dishes, most of which fall under three categories:

1. 1. As a top layer: You can use breadcrumbs as a crunchy topping on casseroles, mac and cheese, or vegetables au gratin. For example, this simple broccoli au gratin recipe features a ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs.
2. 2. As an outer coating: Breadcrumbs are the final step when building a crunchy, crispy breading on proteins like chicken, pork, steak, fish, or shrimp, and deep-fried dishes like croquettes. (To help the breadcrumbs adhere, coat the protein or dumpling in flour, then dip it in beaten egg.) Chicken Parmesan and tonkatsu are among the most popular dishes that use breadcrumbs to coat the main proteins.
3. 3. As a panade: A panade is a combination of starch and liquid that you can use as a binding agent. (“Panade” is a French word that roughly translates to “bread mash.”) The best examples of a panade at work lie in the milk-soaked breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf that help the meat mixture hold together and stay moist.

It’s easy to make breadcrumbs without a food processor—all you need is a rolling pin, meat masher, or box grater.

• First, chop and toast the bread. Depending on the freshness of your bread, you may need to dry it out further before crushing it, which is easiest to do in the oven. Simply cut the bread into small bite-sized pieces and spread them into an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake the pieces at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until they are very dry (but not burned), about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the crumbs to a heavy-duty freezer bag. Let the bread pieces come to room temperature, then completely seal them in a plastic bag.
• Mash the pieces into your preferred texture. Use a rolling pin or meat masher to crush larger pieces into a uniform, fine texture. For small batches, you can use a large mortar and pestle.
  
• Use a box grater for stubborn pieces. This method works best if you have a piece of stale bread that’s too dry to cut safely into smaller pieces, like a heel. Hold the box grater steady with one hand, and grate the bread on the largest setting. Break up any large remaining pieces by roughly chopping them with a knife.

Homemade breadcrumbs are never sandy or bland, and there are countless ways to customize them. Here are some tips for making your own breadcrumbs:

1. 1. Choosing the bread: Stale bread is the traditional choice for breadcrumbs. You can use rustic loaves like rye or sourdough, white bread, or hot dog or hamburger buns. Strongly flavored breads may not be ideal for some recipes, but most mildly flavored options are acceptable. If the bread feels too moist to process, pop it into the toaster or oven for a few minutes to crisp it up before grinding.
2. 2. Seasoning the breadcrumbs: A little salt and pepper are never amiss in homemade breadcrumbs, but there’s far more you can do with them. Popular “Italian breadcrumbs,” for example, combine Italian seasoning (a dried spice blend containing basil, oregano, and marjoram, among other spices) with onion powder and garlic powder. Add heat with red pepper flakes or Japanese togarashi (chili powder seasoning), and use raw grated garlic and fresh herbs to add an aromatic top note to casseroles and gratin.
3. 3. Storing the breadcrumbs: Store fresh breadcrumbs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days, or freeze for up to six months. Defrost the breadcrumbs in the refrigerator or at room temperature before seasoning and using.

Breadcrumbs are a versatile ingredient made by grinding, crushing, or blitzing dried bread into small granules. These crumbs come in many shapes and sizes, from the fine breadcrumbs you can find in most grocery stores to light and airy Japanese panko breadcrumbs to the coarse crumbs in homemade varieties.

Croutons are a popular salad topping that you can make with stale or leftover bread, but they are much larger than breadcrumbs.

You can use breadcrumbs in a broad array of dishes, most of which fall under three categories:

1. 1. As a top layer: You can use breadcrumbs as a crunchy topping on casseroles, mac and cheese, or vegetables au gratin. For example, this simple broccoli au gratin recipe features a ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs.
2. 2. As an outer coating: Breadcrumbs are the final step when building a crunchy, crispy breading on proteins like chicken, pork, steak, fish, or shrimp, and deep-fried dishes like croquettes. (To help the breadcrumbs adhere, coat the protein or dumpling in flour, then dip it in beaten egg.) Chicken Parmesan and tonkatsu are among the most popular dishes that use breadcrumbs to coat the main proteins.
3. 3. As a panade: A panade is a combination of starch and liquid that you can use as a binding agent. (“Panade” is a French word that roughly translates to “bread mash.”) The best examples of a panade at work lie in the milk-soaked breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf that help the meat mixture hold together and stay moist.

It’s easy to make breadcrumbs without a food processor—all you need is a rolling pin, meat masher, or box grater.

• First, chop and toast the bread. Depending on the freshness of your bread, you may need to dry it out further before crushing it, which is easiest to do in the oven. Simply cut the bread into small bite-sized pieces and spread them into an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake the pieces at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until they are very dry (but not burned), about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the crumbs to a heavy-duty freezer bag. Let the bread pieces come to room temperature, then completely seal them in a plastic bag.
• Mash the pieces into your preferred texture. Use a rolling pin or meat masher to crush larger pieces into a uniform, fine texture. For small batches, you can use a large mortar and pestle.
  
• Use a box grater for stubborn pieces. This method works best if you have a piece of stale bread that’s too dry to cut safely into smaller pieces, like a heel. Hold the box grater steady with one hand, and grate the bread on the largest setting. Break up any large remaining pieces by roughly chopping them with a knife.

Homemade breadcrumbs are never sandy or bland, and there are countless ways to customize them. Here are some tips for making your own breadcrumbs:

1. 1. Choosing the bread: Stale bread is the traditional choice for breadcrumbs. You can use rustic loaves like rye or sourdough, white bread, or hot dog or hamburger buns. Strongly flavored breads may not be ideal for some recipes, but most mildly flavored options are acceptable. If the bread feels too moist to process, pop it into the toaster or oven for a few minutes to crisp it up before grinding.
2. 2. Seasoning the breadcrumbs: A little salt and pepper are never amiss in homemade breadcrumbs, but there’s far more you can do with them. Popular “Italian breadcrumbs,” for example, combine Italian seasoning (a dried spice blend containing basil, oregano, and marjoram, among other spices) with onion powder and garlic powder. Add heat with red pepper flakes or Japanese togarashi (chili powder seasoning), and use raw grated garlic and fresh herbs to add an aromatic top note to casseroles and gratin.
3. 3. Storing the breadcrumbs: Store fresh breadcrumbs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days, or freeze for up to six months. Defrost the breadcrumbs in the refrigerator or at room temperature before seasoning and using.