Homemade Breadcrumbs

Homemade breadcrumbs are easy to make and economical.

You can use any type of bread. If you or your family does not eat the crusty ends from sliced bread you can refrigerate or freeze them in a plastic bag until you have enough to make a batch of breadcrumbs. Since stale bread works better than fresh bread, storing scraps of bread several weeks in your refrigerator or freezer will not affect the quality of your breadcrumbs.

There are two types of make homemade breadcrumbs; fresh and dried. Fresh breadcrumbs is made from fresh or slightly stale (day old) bread. Dried breadcrumbs are best made using stale bread.

Your breadcrumbs can be seasoned or unseasoned. The advantage of not seasoning breadcrumbs is adding your favorite seasonings when you are ready to make a recipe, or using them for recipes requiring unseasoned breadcrumbs.

For seasoned breadcrumbs, adjust seasoning to taste, and experiment with other seasonings like rosemary, cayenne pepper, dill, and sage.

Sodium

Store bought breadcrumbs can have over 400 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup serving.

Homemade breadcrumbs can be virtually sodium free when made using homemade bread. When using store bought breads, sodium content will vary depending on the type and brand of bread used. Sliced bread has 100 to 200 mg of sodium per slice. Buns and rolls 200 to 450 mg or more.

If you are concerned about sodium, use homemade or reduced sodium bread.

Type of Bread

You can use any sliced bread without seeds or other whole ingredients like oats or nuts. Italian or French bread, white, or wheat are good choices.

It takes about 1.5 lbs. of bread to make 1 lb. of dried breadcrumbs.

Nutrition Information

All nutrition Information is approximate and will very slightly depending on the type and brand of bread used.

Special Equipment

Food processor (a meat grinder can be used to make dried breadcrumbs)

Cook’s Tip

For long-term storage, dry or toast fresh breadcrumbs in a 300°F (150°C) oven. Spread crumbs on large baking sheets and dry, stirring occasionally every 15 to 20 minutes. You can use a lower heat setting and longer drying time to prevent toasting. For toasted crumbs continue baking until crumbs are dried and golden brown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXeEUm-0iBEsstart=62

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb (600 g) bread, sliced
• For Seasoned Breadcrumbs, add per cup of crumbs:
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) dried thyme
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Method of Preparation