How to Make Bread Crumbs From Cut-Off Crusts

Bread crumbs add dimension and flavor to a wide variety of dishes.

Bread crumbs provide the crowning touch to a wide variety of meats, fish and vegetables–adding that necessary “crunch factor” that says the cook was paying attention to the details. While it’s convenient to buy bread crumbs, nothing beats the taste and flavor of homemade ones. If this sounds like a lot of work, think again: first consider the amount of bread you’ve been forced to throw away because it has spoiled. Then think of the number of times you’ve had the oven on and could easily double-dip and slide in a baking sheet of bread slices. Once you’ve savored the flavor of homemade bread crumbs, you may never go back to store-bought varieties again.

Things You'll Need

• Bread
• Baking sheet
• Food processor
• Olive oil and sea salt (optional)
• Butter and seasonings (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Arrange the bread or crusts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake the bread for 10 minutes, then turn the bread over so it bakes evenly on both sides and bake for another 10 minutes. (If you’re “double-dipping” and have your oven set at another temperature, adjust the baking time accordingly.)

3. Slice the bread or crusts into 4- to 6-inch pieces.

4. Put the bread or crusts into your food processor, but don’t overstuff it. Grind the bread or crusts until they reach the coarseness you desire.

5. Flavor your bread crumbs with olive oil and sea salt, if desired. Add about 1/4 cup of olive oil to every 4 cups of bread crumbs.

6. Saute your crumbs for full-bodied flavor. Heat butter or margarine in a skillet and add several cloves of garlic before adding the crumbs and combining thoroughly. For Italian bread crumbs, add Italian seasoning or garlic salt and basil.

7. 

   Enliven a stir-fry dish by adding your seasoned bread crumbs as a finishing touch.

   Store your mouth-watering bread crumbs in an air-tight container and keep it handy for an assortment of dishes.

Tips & Warnings

• The bread you use will obviously affect the flavor of your crumbs. French bread is richer than white bread, and pumpernickel is richer than wheat bread. Experiment with different varieties and even mix them together in the food processor.

• Store the bread or crusts in a container or in the refrigerator until you have enough to make a full batch of bread crumbs.

• Think about what you will be using the bread crumbs for, and adjust the grinding time accordingly. For example, you may want chunkier bread crumbs for a fish topping and finer bread crumbs to coat chicken Parmesan.

References

• Gourmet.com: Toasted Bread Crumbs
• Gourmet.com: Toasted Bread-Crumb Topping for Pasta
• FoodNetwork.com: Baked Seabass with Homemade Garlic Butter and Herb Bread Crumb Topping