Any tips for making bread crumbs?

[Skittle68]

As I sit here with my meat tenderizer, a beat up 9 x 13 pan, and a strainer, I think to myself, "There must be a better way!" I accidentally let an expensive loaf of French bread dry out, and I can't bear to throw it out so I decided to make it into crumbs. It's rock hard, and I've been trying to pulverize it with my meat tenderizer. I like the crumbs fine, which is why I'm sending the crumbs through a strainer. Any tips??

 

[FrankZ]

I have used the food grinder attachment to my stand mixer.

 

[Skittle68]

I have used the food grinder attachment to my stand mixer.

Hmm, good idea...

 

[jabbur]

Might try a grater as well or Use your tenderizer to break it into chunks and run them through a food processor.

 

[LindaZ]

As I sit here with my meat tenderizer, a beat up 9 x 13 pan, and a strainer, I think to myself, "There must be a better way!" I accidentally let an expensive loaf of French bread dry out, and I can't bear to throw it out so I decided to make it into crumbs. It's rock hard, and I've been trying to pulverize it with my meat tenderizer. I like the crumbs fine, which is why I'm sending the crumbs through a strainer. Any tips??

I would use a box grater using the fine grating side and just grate the bread. If the pieces are still too big, put in a freezer bag and roll with a rolling pin. That should do it.

 

[Zhizara]

Your blender will pulverize it. Just don't fill it too full.

 

[Skittle68]

Thank you! I have a tiny kitchen, so I use a mini grater, and don't have a blender. But I am going to try the blender.

 

[Kayelle]

My blender also does a great job for bread crumbs.

Skittle I've revived a rock hard french bread by running it under the faucet so that it's good and wet, and then wrapping it tight in foil and sticking it in the oven for about 20 minutes. Works for me every time.
Worth a try.

 

[jennyema]

Food processor

 

[msmofet]

Food processor

I 2nd this ^^

 

[CWS4322]

Food processor. You can brush the dried bread with olive oil, sprinkle with dried herbs, and put in the oven on a cookie sheet at 250 for about 20 minutes and then process. Or add dried herbs, paramesan cheese and the dried bread to the food processor. Or you can make croutons. I store my bread crumbs in the freezer. Since I bake my own bread almost daily, I process a lot of bread crumbs <g>.

 

[simonbaker]

I put the french bread in a bread bag & smash it then finish it off in the food processor.

 

[Selkie]

First, I make croutons:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cut the bread into cubes and spread across a baking sheet.
Sprinkle with olive oil and Italian seasoning mix (McCormick).
Gently mix with your hands until they are mostly coated and spread across one layer deep.
Place into oven and TURN OVEN OFF.
Simply let the croutons warm up and then cool off naturally while in the oven for a couple of hours. They will never burn using this method and will not turn rock hard.
Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They will keep for about two weeks.

For bread crumbs, pulse in a food processor a couple of times.

 

[thePanMan]

Definitely a blender

 

[Zhizara]

First, I make croutons:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cut the bread into cubes and spread across a baking sheet.
Sprinkle with olive oil and Italian seasoning mix (McCormick).
Gently mix with your hands until they are mostly coated and spread across one layer deep.
Place into oven and TURN OVEN OFF.
Simply let the croutons warm up and then cool off naturally while in the oven for a couple of hours. They will never burn using this method and will not turn rock hard.
Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They will keep for about two weeks.

For bread crumbs, pulse in a food processor a couple of times.

Thanks for the great tips, Selkie. I made notes.

Do you use this method for making stuffing?

 

[taxlady]

If it's for dry breadcrumbs, I use the grater attachment on my meat grinder. It it's for soft bread crumbs, I pulse them in the food processor until they are as fine as I need for the particular recipe.

For soft breadcrumbs, I store "heels" in the freezer. For dry breadcrumbs, I let heels and any bread staring to go dry completely air dry, then store in a cannister on my counter.

 

[CharlieD]

I never buy bread crumbs. I cut up the left over breaad. Preheat the oven, let it dry in the oven. when dried, I use food processor to grind them.

 

[simonbaker]

I use the food processor & use leftover soft bread ends. The toast them in the oven on a cookie sheet. It's not so hard on your food processor. They burn out fast enough.

 

[msmofet]

First, I make croutons:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cut the bread into cubes and spread across a baking sheet.
Sprinkle with olive oil and Italian seasoning mix (McCormick).
Gently mix with your hands until they are mostly coated and spread across one layer deep.
Place into oven and TURN OVEN OFF.
Simply let the croutons warm up and then cool off naturally while in the oven for a couple of hours. They will never burn using this method and will not turn rock hard.
Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They will keep for about two weeks.

For bread crumbs, pulse in a food processor a couple of times.

I did this the last time. But I switched to just smushing the dry cubes in my hands. LOL

 

[Selkie]

I did this the last time. But I switched to just smushing the dry cubes in my hands. LOL

If I don't feel like cleaning the food processor, I'll put them in a gallon-sized Ziplock bag and beat-roll them with a rolling pin... taking out some frustrations!