How to Make Homemade Bread Crumbs in a Few Easy Steps
Learn how to make homemade bread crumbs from bread close to its expiration date. Cut, dry-roast, grind and store them for crisp, fresh crumbs anytime.
Do you eat foods like risoles (breaded, fried filled pastry rolls) often? Then you know their outer coating well, don't you? That crumbly outer layer is called bread crumbs. Although bread crumbs are sold in stores and markets, many people prefer to make them at home because the process is fairly easy. When you make them yourself, the quality is guaranteed and the crumbs are fresh when you use them. And if you have bread that is close to its expiration date, it is better to turn it into bread crumbs!
Steps for making homemade bread crumbs
Before you start, prepare the main ingredient: bread. You can use any brand, as long as it is sandwich bread that is still fit to eat even though it is close to its expiration date. Try to choose white bread so the crumbs look better. Next, heat the pan you plan to use over the flame with nothing in it. If you washed the pan beforehand, heat it until it is completely dry. Do not wipe the pan with a cloth, to keep it sterile.
So the bread is easy to crush later, cut it into small pieces first. Then put the pieces in the pan and dry-roast them for a while. Use low heat so the bread does not burn, because burnt bread usually gives crumbs that are brownish or blackish and taste slightly bitter. Dry-roast the pieces, stirring them over and over until they are completely dry. When the pieces look dry, turn off the heat, but keep stirring until the temperature drops. That way the crumbs come out crisp.
Once the roasting is done, the next step is grinding. Let the bread cool completely first. You can use a blender or a food processor to grind the pieces. Process them with either appliance until the crumbs are fine. When grinding is done, you can use the crumbs right away. If you have any left over, store them in a dry, airtight container, ideally in the refrigerator. That keeps their quality up. You will not need to make more the next time you need some, because properly stored crumbs last quite a long time and can be used later to coat other foods you make.
Read also: 5 Tips and Tricks for Soft Bread That Stays Fresh Longer
