Homemade Ingredients

How to Make Breadcrumbs

4.80 from 25 votes
It may seem impossibly simple, but my How to Make Breadcrumbs recipe will take all the guesswork out of such a simple task, just in case!
A bowl of breadcrumbs with a scoop.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

Making your own homemade breadcrumbs may seem like an unnecessary task, seeing as how you can pick up a canister of them at every grocery store, but making breadcrumbs from scratch is so easy! I have so many Baking Basics for you that will simplify your life and possibly even cost less. 

Is there anything worse than reaching for a loaf of bread you thought had a day or two left to its shelf life to find out that it’s inedible? Making breadcrumbs from that sad loaf is one way to make you feel better about reducing food waste — plus, homemade breadcrumbs taste so much better than store-bought.

I love to use these breadcrumbs around the holidays for stuffing, but they also go great in some of my Irish puddings and traditional Christmas desserts! 

A bowl of breadcrumbs.

The Type Of Bread You Should Use

From artisan sourdough to store-bought hot dog buns, you can use any bread to make homemade breadcrumbs. You can even use gluten-free bread! If you are using bread with a tougher crust, like a sourdough, I would suggest you remove the crust before making the breadcrumbs, as they can be harder to blend. 

Fresh vs. Old Bread

Stale bread, preferably a few days old, is best because you want your loaf to be very dry. If you are in a rush, you can cut fresher bread up and leave it uncovered in the air for a few hours. 

If you only have very fresh bread, you can dry it out using a toaster or pop it into a preheated 300ºF (149ºC) oven for a few minutes to get rid of the bread’s moisture; just be sure you allow the bread to cool before you use it.

Can You Make Them Without A Food Processor? 

This recipe can also be made gadget-free. If you don’t have a food processor, you can cut your bread into smaller cubes and use a blender or an immersion blender. If you don’t have one of those items, you can place the smaller-cubes into a Ziploc bag and simply crunch it up with a rolling pin! 

What You Need To Make Breadcrumbs

  • Stale or dried bread
  • Food processor, immersion blender, or a Ziploc bag

How To Make Breadcrumbs

This is such an easy process, I guarantee you’ll never buy another store-bought breadcrumb or throw away a stale loaf of bread again! Here is how you make homemade breadcrumbs (print the full recipe below):

  1. Place chopped up stale bread in a food processor and blend it until you have fine breadcrumbs. If you do not have a food processor, see above! Use the fresh breadcrumbs or dry them out.
  2. To make dry breadcrumbs, preheat your oven to 250°F (125°C). Place the breadcrumbs on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes, or until they are dry and crisp. Be sure to stir every few minutes.

Close up of homemade breadcrumbs.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Breadcrumbs

  • 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs is the equivalent of 1/2 cup of dried breadcrumbs, so be sure to compensate depending on your recipe!
  • These breadcrumbs can be frozen for up to 4 months.
  • Pair your bread with the type of recipe you are making! For example, if you are making meatballs, use Italian flavored or plain bread. You do not want to use sweet bread! 
  • Stale bread, preferably a few days old, is best for making breadcrumbs.

How Do I Store Homemade Breadcrumbs?

You can store fresh breadcrumbs in your fridge for up to 1 week. You can store dried breadcrumbs in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the cupboard or up to 4 months in the freezer. 

Make More Homemade Ingredients

And don’t miss my New Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook, which is available now!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Watch The Recipe Video!

How to Make Breadcrumbs Recipe

4.80 from 25 votes
It may seem impossibly simple, but my How to Make Breadcrumbs recipe will take all the guesswork out of such a simple task, just in case!
Author: Gemma Stafford
It may seem impossibly simple, but my How to Make Breadcrumbs recipe will take all the guesswork out of such a simple task, just in case!
Author: Gemma Stafford

Ingredients

  • Stale bread of your choice cubed

Instructions

  • Place your stale bread in a food processor and blend until you have fine breadcrumbs. Use as is fresh or dry them out.
    To Dry Breadcrumbs: Preheat your oven to 250°F (125°C). Places the crumbs on a baking tray and bake for roughly 15 minutes or until dry and crisp stirring every few minutes.
  • Store the fresh breadcrumbs in the fridge for up to 1 week.
    Store the dried breadcrumbs in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the cupboard. Also, you can freeze them for up to 4 months.
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Suzanna
Suzanna
3 years ago

I made a batch of hamburger buns that just came out wrong – not enough liquid in the dough – so I baked them anyway and kept them, dried them out under a netting contraption I have in the kitchen for a few days to go stale and hard. I then bashed them into smaller pieces with pestle and mortar and then chucked the pieces into my food processor. I didn’t even have to dry them in the oven – they were bone dry. Some of them are in a zip-lock baggie in my ‘fridge and the rest in an… Read more »

KRIS
KRIS
2 years ago

what type of bread would you suggest for treacle tart?

Adriana Young
Adriana Young
2 years ago

This was perfect for my DIY mozzarella sticks with the kids. 10/10 recommended

Samantha
Samantha
1 year ago

Do you think you could use vacuum sealed bags to make the crumbs last longer? Rather than putting them in the freezer?

Terry
Terry
11 days ago

Hi Gemma. Me again LOL. I’m wondering if there’s any way to make shelf stable FLAVORED” breadcrumbs? Looking at you, Italian! Or would I need to actually bake the bread itself, using all the herbs necessary to achieve the flavor I want? I intend to use them dry,so adding the herbs when sautéing in butter is not an option.
Thanks, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Denise Burns
Denise Burns
1 year ago

I love your videos and recipes. Never complicated and always straightforward!

I need to buy a new food processor. Mine is 40 years old! What size do you suggest and is there a food processor you could recommend? Thanks, Denise

Poojani Weerakkody
3 years ago

If I say simply I just need to grind out the dried bread, I think. Is that all we have to do for bread crumbs Gemma….

About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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