Chef notes
Making your own bread crumbs couldn't be easier, and how amazing to know that you've not only made them quickly from scratch but also that you didn't have to resign yourself from tossing that half a loaf of stale bread into the trash.
Make sure your bread is fairly dry/stale, and if you want to hurry that process along (which is kind of funny; usually we are trying to keep things fresher longer), you can put the pieces of bread on a baking sheet and bake them in a preheated 325°F oven for about 20 minutes until they dry out.
You can use the bread crumbs to coat chicken breasts or pork chops, or sprinkle over fish or scallops or pasta. You might even toss these bread crumbs with a little garlic, fresh herbs and citrus zest first, for a wonderful pop of both flavor and texture (this is what known as a gremolata in Italy, a great way to perk up so many dishes).
Ingredients
- 1/2 pounds stale good white bread
Preparation
Place the bread into a blender or a food processor and pulse or let the machine run until the bread crumbs are as fine or coarse as you like them. Transfer them to a sealed container and keep at room temperature for up to a week.
Variation: Italian bread crumbs
If you want to make classic Italian seasoned bread crumbs, just add in 1 to 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (or a mixture of dried parsley, sage, basil, oregano and marjoram), ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Make sure the mixture is well combined; give it a little shake or stir every time you use it so that the herbs are well distributed.
