“Give us this day our daily bread”…
Bread has long been a staple food- as it was in our home –bread for school lunches or buttered bread at tea time. Making bread crumbs out of excess or stale bread was Amma’s method for what she called ‘never wasting a crumb’. Although bread crumbs may be an effective means of using up excess bread-it also serves as a key ingredient in making crumbed meats like chicken nuggets, crumbed chicken or fish cakes.
Making bread crumbs is a fairly simple process which involves toasting then crushing bread. This enables the crumbs to last longer and also provide a crispier crumb texture. Dried herbs or spices can be added for seasoned crumbs. Homemade bread crumbs also provide a healthier alternative to store bought variants e.g. low glycemic index breads like wholewheat or rye breads are healthy alternatives for diabetics.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Yield: varies depending on quantity of bread used
Ingredients
- bread
- Slice bread or break into small pieces. I recommend using a board when slicing bread and place a dishcloth underneath. This helps to collect excess crumbs.
- Toast bread in the oven for 50-60 minutes on low heat until the bread has toasted. Turn over to allow even toasting. Times may vary depending on the type of bread used e.g. dark rye breads requires longer toasting time than regular white or brown breads.
- Remove from oven .Allow to cool. Place in a food processor or mincer. Pulse until the bread forms fine crumbs.
- Add seasoning such as herbs and spices if desired or store plain in an airtight container until needed.
