How to Make Your Own Breadcrumbs at Home

Why buy breadcrumbs at home when you can just make them at home with your leftover bread? Compared to store-bought breadcrumbs, a homemade one is far more coarse and irregular to give your dish a lot more texture. They’d be perfect for your meatloaf, baked pasta topping, or crispy onion rings.

Don’t let that almost-stale bread on your shelf be of no use! Here’s how you can make your very own, customizable breadcrumbs.

Types of bread to use

You can pretty much use any bread to make them—that’s the beauty of it. For example, rye bread will create a completely different flavor compared to white. If you don’t want the flavor to overpower the whole dish, try using different loaves of bread at once.

If you find that your bread is about to go stale and you’re confident you don’t have the means to eat it, stash it in the freezer immediately. 

How to make breadcrumbs at home

To make the breadcrumbs, tear them into 1-inch crumbs. Spread them into a single layer on a baking tray and bake them in the oven at 180C. Stir every 5 minutes or so until they’re dry and turn slightly golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.

Now, place the dried pieces in a food processor. In this step, feel free to add flavorings like dried herbs and spices. Whizz them until they have the texture you desire. 

If you find that the crumbs are still slightly moist, simply spread them out on the baking tray and bake for a few more minutes until they’re completely dry. Be careful as to not burn them.

How to store your homemade breadcrumbs

Before placing them in ziplock bags, make sure to completely dry them. Any moisture can cause mold to grow. Seal the bags tight and store them in the freezer. Make sure to label and date them!