Breadcrumbs are one of those kitchen staple ingredients that everyone needs to keep on hand for all sorts of recipes, but go stale far too quickly.
Instead of having to re-buy your breadcrumbs almost every single time you need them for a recipe, why not learn how to make them yourself?
How Can I Use My Homemade Breadcrumbs?
Homemade breadcrumbs can be used in precisely the same way that regular breadcrumbs can be used in other recipes – add them to the top of all kinds of things you make at home to add a crunchy, starchy layer to act as a wonderful contrast to whatever’s underneath.
Or mix them with butter and garlic powder to turn them into an intense garlic, crunchy seasoning to be added to anything you like!
What Kind Of Special Equipment Do I Need To Make Homemade Breadcrumbs?
Making homemade breadcrumbs really is as simple as dehydrating whatever bread you are using and crushing them into a fine enough powder that they can easily be sprinkled onto whatever you are putting them on!
This means a simple oven and a blender really are all you need, and if you don’t even have that, something like a mortar and pestle will work wonders as well.
Ingredients
1 large chunk of stale bread

How To Make Homemade Breadcrumbs
Step 1 – Using your largest, sharpest knife, cut your stale bread apart into smaller cubes.

Step 2 – Arrange your bread cubes in a single layer, put them in an oven set to 250 Fahrenheit, and bake them until each individual bread cube is completely dry and just beginning to take on some browned color.

Step 3 – Once totally browned, remove your breadcrumbs from the oven, allow them to cool, and then crush them into breadcrumbs, either using a blender, mortar and pestle, or just a kitchen mallet.

Step 4 – Store your breadcrumbs in a lidded container in the cupboard for up to 1 month
Troubleshooting Tips
• If you are struggling to break your stale bread into small cubes due to how hard they are, consider using a regular chef’s knife, rather than a standard serrated bread knife. While the serrated knife is usually the best option for cutting bread, when pieces of bread start to get really stale, the only thing you can really use to break them apart is a strong, solid blade with a single sharp edge. Just make sure to press down super hard, and you should be able to cut through them.
• If your breadcrumbs seem to be browning way too quickly, you might have turned your oven up to too high a temperature, resulting in the surfaces of your breadcrumbs browning before they get a chance to properly dehydrate. Just turn your oven down to give the interiors of the breadcrumb pieces a chance to properly dehydrate, and you should be fine.
• If your breadcrumb pieces just don’t seem to want to break apart into a fine powder, you might not have dehydrated them enough. Simply put them back into the oven to give them the time they need to properly dehydrate so that they can more easily break down into useable-sized pieces.
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Nutritional Facts
For the health-conscious out there, here are the nutritional details for 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs.
Calories: 107
Total Fat: 1.4 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.3 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 198 milligrams
Total Carbohydrates: 19.4 grams
Dietary Fiber: 1.2 grams
Sugars: 1.7 grams
Protein: 3.6 gram
Potassium: 53 milligrams
FAQs
The joy of making breadcrumbs is that they can truly be made from any kind of bread that you like.
The real use of breadcrumbs, besides adding a crunchy topping to various recipes, is that they are perfect use for crusty, stale bread that you don’t know what to do with.
While certain breads tend to lend themselves more to the idea of making breadcrumbs, such as baguette or sourdough, you should make your homemade breadcrumbs from whatever kind of bread you happen to have on hand.
This recipe makes for a simple, easily adaptable pile of breadcrumbs, that can be used in basically any application that could imagine.
However, there is nothing stopping you from flavoring your breadcrumbs differently, by adding in all kinds of different seasonings and spices.
You could add just a simple sprinkling of salt and black pepper to make a savory, multi-purpose breadcrumb, or you could add all kinds of different flavors, from paprika and cumin to rosemary and thyme, to make your blend of flavored breadcrumbs!
Experiment and play around with what flavors work best for your needs, and see what you like!

How to Make Homemade Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
1 large chunk of stale bread
Instructions
Step 1 – Using your largest, sharpest knife, cut your stale bread apart into smaller cubes.
Step 2 – Arrange your bread cubes in a single layer, put them in an oven set to 250 Fahrenheit, and bake them until each individual bread cube is completely dry and just beginning to take on some browned color.
Step 3 – Once totally browned, remove your breadcrumbs from the oven, allow them to cool, and then crush them into breadcrumbs, either using a blender, mortar and pestle, or just a kitchen mallet.
Step 4 – Store your breadcrumbs in a lidded container in the cupboard for up to 1 month
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
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