Have you ever found yourself with too much leftover sourdough bread? It happens to me all the time and my favorite way to use it up is to make homemade sourdough breadcrumbs. They're super simple to make, nice to have on hand, and they're way better than store-bought breadcrumbs. Give them a try today!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
No Food Waste: There's nothing worse than having a beautiful loaf of bread go stale and not have a use for it. This recipe turns stale bread into a delicious ingredient that's so handy to have around. Never throw away a stale loaf of sourdough bread again!
Easy to Make: All you need is some sourdough, a food processor, and a little time to give your stale bread a new life!
Versatile: You can use these breadcrumbs for many recipes, and they are great to have on hand. From meatballs to fish cakes to pasta toppings, these breadcrumbs can do it all!
Ingredient Notes:
- Sourdough Bread: You can turn just about any type of bread into breadcrumbs. You can use French bread, sandwich loaves, brioche, or any other leftover bread to make breadcrumbs. You can also use fresh sourdough bread but it will take longer to dry out than stale bread.
Equipment Notes:
- Food Processor: If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender to make breadcrumbs. You can also put dried bread cubes in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to turn the cubes into crumbs.
Step by Step Instructions:
How To Make Sourdough Breadcrumbs:
Breadcrumbs come in many different varieties: traditional, panko, Italian, whole grain, gluten-free, coarse texture, fine texture, you name it! These sourdough bread crumbs have a finer texture but can be made more coarse if you prefer.
They're super easy to make and are a great way to reduce food waste. You can use them in any recipe that calls for breadcrumbs. Follow the simple steps below to learn how to make them!
Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the bread cubes on the sheet pan in a single layer.
Bake for approximately 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the bread cubes are fully dried. It's okay if the bread cubes turn golden brown, but the low oven temperature should keep them from burning before they're fully dried.
Let the bread cubes cool completely at room temperature before processing them into crumbs. Working in batches, place cooled bread crumbs in the bowl of a food processor with a multi-purpose blade.
Pulse bread cubes until they reach the desired breadcrumb consistency. For coarse crumbs, pulse the bread cubes for a shorter amount of time. For finer crumbs, pulse the bread cubes for a longer amount of time. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months or up to 1 month in the fridge.
Pro Tip: If you don't want to use the oven, you can leave the sheet pan of bread cubes on the kitchen counter for a day or 2 to let them dry out fully. This only works if you live in a dry climate.
How to Store Homemade Breadcrumbs:
Homemade breadcrumbs can be stored in several ways but the best option to extend their shelf life is to store them in an airtight container in the freezer. I like to keep a quart-sized jar of breadcrumbs in the freezer.
For the freshest breadcrumbs, use them within 6 months. But, they can last longer than that as well. They can also be stored in a freezer bag. If breadcrumbs are kept in an airtight container in the fridge, they will last up to a month.
How to Use Sourdough Breadcrumbs:
Sourdough breadcrumbs are an excellent addition to many recipes. You'll love having them on hand to use in your favorite recipes! Read below for a few of my favorite ways to use these breadcrumbs.
- Meatballs: Homemade breadcrumbs make a great binder for meatballs. They soak up wet ingredients very well and help hold meatballs together.
- Meatloaf: Meatloaf recipes usually call for some type of binding starch (crackers, oats, breadcrumbs, etc.) These sourdough breadcrumbs are the perfect ingredient to hold meatloaf together and add great flavor to the dish.
- Fish Cakes: Fish cakes, crab cakes, shrimp cakes, etc. all need something to bind the filling together. Homemade breadcrumbs can be used as both a binder and a crispy coating. Toss breadcrumbs with some lemon zest and a little seafood seasoning (like Old Bay) to coat the outside of your fish cakes in a flavorful crunchy crust.
- Fish Sticks, Steak Fingers, Chicken Tenders: The best part of fish sticks, steak fingers, chicken tenders, etc. is the breading. Breadcrumbs make a delicious coating and they crisp up well in the oven or fryer.
- Pasta Topping: Toast breadcrumbs in olive oil with some parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning to make the perfect crunchy topping for pasta.
- Vegetable Topping: Toast breadcrumbs in butter with your favorite seasonings and top roasted vegetables for a satisfying crunch.
More Ways to Use Day-Old Sourdough:
Recipe FAQ's:
Making homemade breadcrumbs is the perfect way to use up stale bread. Sourdough is a great bread to use for breadcrumbs because it has a stout texture that crumbles well when it's dry. Sourdough also has a great flavor that will enhance any recipe that calls for breadcrumbs.
Homemade sourdough breadcrumbs will last for 6 months or longer in the freezer, 1 month in the fridge, or 5 days at room temperature.
Making homemade breadcrumbs is easy! All you need is some dry bread, a little bit of time, and a food processor. Dry some stale bread cubes in a low-temperature oven, let them cool, then use a food processor to process the cubes into crumbs.
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Recipe:
Sourdough Breadcrumbs
Equipment
- large sheet pan
Ingredients
- 12 cups sourdough bread cubes (¾"-1")
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Spread the bread cubes on the sheet pan in a single layer.
- Bake for approximately 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the bread cubes are fully dried.
- Let the bread cubes cool completely before processing them into crumbs.
- Working in batches, place cooled bread crumbs in a food processor with a multi-purpose blade. Pulse bread cubes until they reach the desired breadcrumb consistency. You can make the breadcrumbs as large or as fine as you'd like.
- Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months or up to 1 month in the fridge.
Notes
- You can turn just about any type of bread into breadcrumbs. French bread, sandwich loaves, brioche, or any other leftover bread can be used to make breadcrumbs. You can also use fresh sourdough bread but it will take longer to dry out than stale bread.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender to make breadcrumbs. You can also put dried bread cubes in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to turn the cubes into crumbs.
- If you don't want to use the oven, you can leave the sheet pan of bread cubes on the kitchen counter for a day or 2 to let them dry out fully. This only works if you live in a dry climate.
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