How to Make Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Don’t throw away stale bread. Learn how to make bread crumbs and never waste money on store bought bread crumbs again. Recipes for plain and seasoned bread crumbs included.

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When money is tight, everyone want to find ways to save money. Making certain household items at home instead of purchasing them at the store is an obvious. For instance, I haven’t purchased store bought bread crumbs in years. Wanna know why? Because bread crumbs are nothing more than finely ground toasted bread.  That’s it. If you have leftover bread going stale in your cabinets or pantry, you can turn them into bread crumbs in minutes.

The difference between regular bread crumbs and Panko breadcrumbs

Before we get started, I want to make clear that this technique does not produce the crunchy, Asian-style crumbs known as Panko bread crumbs. The techniques used for producing the two styles is a little different. For regular bread crumbs, I use the entire piece of bread, crusts and all. The bread is dried first and then processed into crumbs. For Panko bread crumbs, white bread without the crust is processed into crumbs first, then dried.

Collect your bread

Believe it or not, you don’t have to go out and buy bread just for bread crumbs! In my house, no one EVER wants to eat the ends of a loaf of bread. I usually keep an empty bread bag on hand. After we’re finished with the bread, I stick the ends in my empty bag and store the bag in the freezer to keep the bread from getting moldy.  Any leftover bread will work — dinner rolls, sandwich buns, wheat bread, white bread, you name it. I keep adding to my freezer stash until my bag starts to get full. 

Toast the bread

In order to end up with breadcrumbs that will produce that crispy, crunchy coating, you’ll need to toast the bread first. Not only does it add some flavor, but it helps dry out the bread quickly. I’ve seen some people recommend leaving the bead out on the counter to dry out. I don’t like doing that because your crumbs could end up tasting stale. Toasting the bread beforehand is easy and takes minutes to complete.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Then lay your bread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. If you have thicker pieces of bread, like sandwich buns, it’s a good idea to cut the bread into smaller pieces so there is more surface area and they toast faster. Toast the bread for 10-15 minutes. Halfway through, stir the bread pieces or flip your bread over. You want the bread to be crunchy just like croutons.

Process the bread into crumbs

After you’ve toasted the bread, allow it to cool completely. If you haven’t already, cut or crumble the bread into chunks so it easily fits into a food processor. You don’t even need a huge food processor to do this. I’ve been making mine with this mini food processor for years. Fill the bowl of the food processor with the torn bread then give it a whir. You may have to pulse it a few times just to get things started, but then let it run for about 30 seconds to allow all the large pieces to get pulverized. The longer you pulse the bread, the finer the bread crumbs will be.

How to make seasoned bread crumbs

At this point, the bread crumbs are plain.  But what if you have a recipe that calls for Italian-style bread crumbs?  No problem.  It’s just a matter of adding a few seasonings.

For Italian-style bread crumbs, add the following seasonings to one cup of plain breadcrumbs:

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For Cajun-style bread crumbs, add the following seasonings to one cup of plain breadcrumbs:

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For garlic herb bread crumbs, add the following seasonings to one cup of plain breadcrumbs:

• 2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
• 2 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Storage and freezing

Storage. Transfer the bread crumbs to an airtight container or plastic bag. Toasted bread crumbs will keep at room temperature for up to one month. Measure out and use just as you would store bought bread crumbs.

Freezing. If you are unable to use up your homemade bread crumbs within a month, you can freeze them instead! I recommend using a freezer bag for this so you can squeeze out all the air and prevent freezer burn. Store for up to three months. Allow the bread crumbs to come to room temperature before using.

Ideas for homemade bread crumbs

• Barbecue Bacon Meatloaf
• Chicken Parmesan
• Crab Stuffed Shrimp
• Baked Crab Cakes