Making Breadcrumbs

[Chris Amirault]

I have two partial loaves of bread that I have sliced and am drying on the counter; I'll then toast them briefly in the oven and give the crisped slices a few pulses in my Cuisinart. However, I always end up with too much dusty crumb and too much chunky crumb that has to go back into the oven.

It's a PITA and I'm eager to learn a new method. Ideas? Tricks? Let's hear 'em!

[kjente2]

I have two partial loaves of bread that I have sliced and am drying on the counter; I'll then toast them briefly in the oven and give the crisped slices a few pulses in my Cuisinart. However, I always end up with too much dusty crumb and too much chunky crumb that has to go back into the oven.

It's a PITA and I'm eager to learn a new method. Ideas? Tricks? Let's hear 'em!

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I put them through a sieve/strainer after I've toasted and put through the cuisinart. You may have to go back and forth to the cuisinart/into the sieve a few times, but they will eventually all make their way through the sieve. Takes some time but you get a very nice, fine, crumb.

[snowangel]

Chris, are you tearing the slices up into smaller pieces? Overloading the food processor?

I find that if I tear the dried or stale bread up into maybe 1" x 1" chunks (not precise_, and don't have too many (a bit lower than the top of the blade plastic thingie), I do get a bit of dust, but not much.

[Chris Amirault]

  I put them through a sieve/strainer after I've toasted and put through the cuisinart.  You may have to go back and forth to the cuisinart/into the sieve a few times, but they will eventually all make their way through the sieve.  Takes some time but you get a very nice, fine, crumb.

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That's in part my problem: the crumb is too fine, almost dusty. I want a crumb somewhere between powdered sugar and small peas.

Chris, are you tearing the slices up into smaller pieces?  Overloading the food processor?

I find that if I tear the dried or stale bread up into maybe 1" x 1" chunks (not precise_, and don't have too many (a bit lower than the top of the blade plastic thingie), I do get a bit of dust, but not much.

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Good tip -- I'll try that right now.

[sparrowgrass]

Cube the bread before you toast it. (Don't use the toaster, silly. Put it on a tray in the oven.)

I think that way is easier than trying to cut up toasted bread.

[BarbaraY]

If you don't want powdery crumbs it would probably be better to put the dry, toasted bread cubes into a heavy duty plastic bag (sealable) and roll or pound them with a rolling pin or mallet, after all that's the way we used to do them before food processors.

[Marlene]

I make the slices into crumbs first in the processor, then spread the crumbs on a baking sheet and toast slowly in a 250 oven. I never get dust.

[Pam R]

Best way to make them is through a meat grinder. Use your KA.

We make lots at work. We use a large grinder, grinding them once right into a sieve. The chunks that don't go through the sieve go into the machine again.

[Bonnie Ruth]

Cube the bread before you toast it.  (Don't use the toaster, silly.    Put it on a tray in the oven.)

I think that way is easier than trying to cut up toasted bread.

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Good grief, I never knew you were supposed to toast for bread crumbs. I just used stale bread, processed it and put it in a jar. I have always wondered, however, why bread crumbs don't mold. Sometimes I am afraid to use them if I have kept them a long time, even though I can't see or smell anything wrong with them. Food science, anyone?

[srhcb]

Good grief, I never knew you were supposed to toast for bread crumbs.  I just used stale bread, processed it and put it in a jar.  I have always wondered, however, why bread crumbs don't mold.  Sometimes I am afraid to use them if I have kept them a long time, even though I can't see or smell anything wrong with them.  Food science, anyone?

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I was confused too.

There are fresh bread crumbs, and dried bread crumbs. They're used for different purposes.

I make fresh bread crumbs by grinding fesh bread in my food processor. (torn up into little pieces first) I make dried bread crumbs by grinding dry or stale bread in my food processor. I suppose toast would work too.

Once the moisture is removed the crumbs won't mold. Just to be safe, I keep mine in an airtight plastic bag in the freezer.

SB

[Fat Guy]

On the issue of toasting: I thought the idea was that there's a difference between fresh bread crumbs and dried bread crumbs, with only dried bread crumbs being toasted (either before or after processing into crumbs).

Edited to add: I see Mr. Baker is all over it.

[Chris Amirault]

How does one get crumbs from fresh bread? It has to be at least a little stale, I think.

[Marlene]

You just let the bread dry on the counter, then process into crumbs. You can then toast if you like.

[srhcb]

Edited March 19, 2007 by srhcb (log)

[srhcb]

How does one get crumbs from fresh bread? It has to be at least a little stale, I think.

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I don't know. Just tear it up in little pieces, as per previous suggestions, and a few pulses in the food processor does the trick.

I've even made fresh crumbs, (like you'd use in meatloaf), out of "wonder-type" bread.

SB

[Fat Guy]

I don't use a lot of bread crumbs. I almost never use the fresh ones, and when I make the dried ones I often make them from cracker-like sources such as, well, crackers and also pretzels (pretzel crumbs are great). So I'm no expert, which won't stop me from sharing what I think I know.

The few times I've made fresh bread crumbs, for example to use in meatloaf, I've used day-old bread. Fresh bread crumbs are, I think, supposed to be pretty bready. While you don't want to use bread fresh out of the oven, you also don't want to use week-old bread. Day-old bread seems to me to be ideal for fresh bread crumbs -- so, not really stale. I think some types of bread are likely to perform better than others, but I've not had a serious failure. I also think uniformity of crumbs is no big deal with fresh because they're usually mixed into something. I've never used fresh bread crumbs to create a crust like on fried chicken or fish (as opposed to on top of a mac-and-cheese casserole, which is a different kind of crust for which fresh crumbs are ideal) -- that's really more the job of dried bread crumbs I think. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Once you start dealing with dried-out bread (bear in mind the term "stale" means a few different things, not all of which correspond to dry -- indeed, crust gets stale because of too much moisture, not too little), you're in the realm of dried bread crumbs. Toasting, as in using temperatures that put color on the bread, gives a certain flavor. You can also dry the bread at lower temperatures so you're removing moisture without adding toasted flavor. I'm not picky enough to care, nor do I do this very often, but I've found that some bread is just better for bread crumbs than other bread. I know this goes against the attitude that bread crumbs can be made from any old leftover bread. Sorry. I also don't mind the dust. I think unless you're willing to take extraordinary measures, dust is kind of inevitable, like when you grind coffee beans in a mini-chopper. You can't expect the same results as with a conical burr grinder. If you make your bread crumbs with a grinder, that might work to create more uniform crumbs. That must be how it's done commercially.

[Chris Amirault]

Pam's suggestion seems more and more smart....

[Fat Guy]

Perhaps a food mill.

[Pam R]

I also don't mind the dust. I think unless you're willing to take extraordinary measures, dust is kind of inevitable, like when you grind coffee beans in a mini-chopper. You can't expect the same results as with a conical burr grinder. If you make your bread crumbs with a grinder, that might work to create more uniform crumbs. That must be how it's done commercially.

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You'll always get some dust with dried out bread. But the grinder definitely gives you a more uniform crumb.

We air-dry the bread or dry on a low temp. and never toast it. Think 200 degrees or so.

I think it's easier as well. Just keep feeding it into the grinder, rather than doing small batches in the processor. We do 5 to 20 lbs. at a time. Use what we need and bag and freeze the rest.

[Shalmanese]

Discovering that Japanese Panko is actually not made from bread but instead via specialised drum machines and is thus, impossible to reproduce at home has quelled my inner food snob and I now just buy the damn things like every other sane cook.

[Chris Amirault]

It is a sign of my mania that my first thought was, "What sorts of cool things do those folks do to make panko, anyway?"

[Pontormo]

How does one get crumbs from fresh bread? It has to be at least a little stale, I think.

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No, though crumbing is one thing to do with good fresh bread that you leave out on the counter and discover isn't as fresh as you'd like it to be.

I concur with Steve about the pleasures of fresh breadcrumbs and also prefer using torn bits of a good sturdy white bread pulsed in a food processor, though you can also do a small amount just with your hands.

Fresh breadcrumbs are what I add to meatballs and meatloaf, for example. The dried, powdery kind can lead to a leaden quality whereas the fresh ones assure a lighter texture, especially if you soak them in a small amount of buttermilk or yogurt. Fresh breadcrumbs are also perfect for topping gratins, whether mixed with finely grated Parmesan and herbs, simply moistened by tossing in a little olive oil or dotted with butter.

Sautéd in olive oil, fresh breadcrumbs can be used for topping pasta in lieu of grated cheese. They're more substantial than the grated powdery dried crumbs and as if mini-croutons, provide a contrasting crunch.

However, dried pasta is traditionally topped with dried breadcrumbs made from stale bread, or Semolina bread that has been left out for several days. The latter produces fresh breadcrumbs. You just separate out the bigger pieces and let the grated bread dry for a few days or put it on baking sheets in a low oven.

Edited March 19, 2007 by Pontormo (log)

[laurelm]

I make the slices into crumbs first in the processor, then spread the crumbs on a baking sheet and toast slowly in a 250 oven. I never get dust.

This is exactly what I do, and I get crisp great breadcrumbs.

[srhcb]

Fresh breadcrumbs are what I add to meatballs and meatloaf, for example.  The dried, powdery kind can lead to a leaden quality whereas the fresh ones assure a lighter texture, especially if you soak them in a small amount of buttermilk or yogurt. 

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This is a very important in meatloaf. I feel that the fresh crumbs soak up just the right amount of the moisture from other ingredients in the recipe, (vegetables, dairy,egg etc), which replaces some of the fat that leaks out, resulting in a moist, tender loaf.

On the other hand, I usually use dried crumbs when I make meatballs. Since they cook faster, the moisture retention isn't as important, and the dry crumbs add a structural element.

SB (meatloaf maven)

[Shel_B]

I have an unlimited source of day old bread and, amongst other things, I want to make bread crumbs for meat balls, meat loaf, and gratins. What's the best way, and why, to make bread crumbs for these dishes: fresher crumbs or older, dried crumbs?

Thanks,

Shel