How To Make Breadcrumbs At Home

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

• Making breadcrumbs is a great way to reduce food waste by using leftover bread, dinner rolls, or crust offcuts instead of throwing them in the bin.
• Breadcrumbs are fast to make and store very well.

Ingredients In This Recipe

The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Bread - You can use sliced or loaf bread. We used white sliced sandwich bread for this recipe, but use whatever bread you have on hand.

Step By Step Instructions

Here's how to make breadcrumbs at home using a food processor. 

If you don't have a food processor, check out our recipe for making breadcrumbs without a food processor.

Step 1 - Roughly tear or cut the bread into small pieces and place it into the bowl of a food processor.

Step 2 - Process for about 20 - 30 seconds or until the bread resembles fine crumbs.

Step 3 - Spread the crumbs in an even but not too thick layer on a rimmed baking tray or two.

Step 4 - Place the trays into a preheated oven to 150°C (300°F) and bake for about 20 - 30 minutes or until dry.

Step 5 - Remove from the oven, cool on the tray, then transfer to a dry container with a lid or a zip lock bag for storage.

Recipe Tips

• You can use either fresh or stale bread but don't use bread that has gone moldy.
• Don't overbake the breadcrumbs to the point where it turns a dark golden brown. They should be dry and just lightly golden in color. If you do overcook the crumbs and use them for a coating for frying or baking, the crumbs will turn even darker and can look and taste burnt.
• Occasionally stir the crumbs with a fork to move them around on the trays during baking for even drying.
• The baking time is just a guide because oven temperatures do vary. 
• You can tell when the breadcrumbs are ready by feeling them. Pick up some crumbs and rub them between your fingers. They should feel dry and crumbly if not bake them for a little longer.

Variations

Make Italian bread crumbs - Measure 2 cups of dried breadcrumbs and place them into a mixing bowl. Next, add 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and 2 teaspoons of Italian herb seasoning mix and stir well to combine.

Other Ways To Flavour Homemade Breadcrumbs

You can easily add other ingredients to homemade breadcrumbs for added flavor and texture;

• Mix in a teaspoon or two of your favorite dried herbs.
• Stir in finely grated parmesan, Romano, or cheddar cheese.
• Mix in some chicken, beef, or vegetable stock powder.
• Add everything bagel seasoning.
• Try using a dry soup mix like French onion soup.
• Or try using a dry taco seasoning mix.

How To Use

• They are great to use as a coating on cutlets, croquettes, patties, or rice balls. 
• Use breadcrumbs in meatballs, crab cakes, meatloaf, and hamburger patties to absorb moisture and add bulk.
• Use breadcrumbs for making stuffing's.
• Or use them to create crunchy toppings for pasta and bakes.

Storage

Store breadcrumbs in an airtight container or a zip lock bag with the air squeezed out.

They can be stored in the fridge for up to one month or frozen for up to three.

Frozen breadcrumbs take very little time to thaw and can be used straight from the freezer.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Bread Recipes

• Homemade naan
• No-knead focaccia
• Bread machine white bread
• Pita bread
• No-knead rolls

I do hope you like this post on how to make breadcrumbs at home. If you do, please come back and leave a comment below because I would love to know how you went.

You might also like our Panko breadcrumb recipe. If you don't have a food processor, check out our recipe for making breadcrumbs without a machine.