Making bread crumbs

[james]

I always have odds and ends of stale bread, and I've decided to start making breadcrumbs. We've been making a number of gratins recently, so it seems to make sense.

Any recommendations on the best way to make and store breadcrumbs.

Is stale bread good enough, our should I bake the moisture out? How to you keep them from going moldy?

Inquiring minds....

James

[dmun]

Re: Making bread crumbs

This cheese grater, I think it comes from the Czech republic, is the best.



It comes with a fine and a coarse drum and whips through hard and soft cheeses, I most recently used it to grind up a bag of brown sugar that had dried to a solid lump in the winter dryness. It's easy to clean, and not expensive. I bet it would grind up dry or stale bread in short order, although I haven't tried it for that use yet.

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Making bread crumbs

If you want drier breadcrumbs, just let them "dry out" in a warm oven on a rack.

I freeze them in a ziploc bag or container and they never go moldy!
Also, then it's easy to take as much as you need for a recipe.

(I do the same thing with leftover rice and pasta, then I can just add them to a soup, chili or stew. In fact, I've taken to adding pasta to a soup this way when reheating as if it's added too early it get's large and soft...mushy)

[Rastys]

Re: Making bread crumbs

James
How would it go if your bread was frozen (for those northerners, just leave it out overnight) and then put in a food processor/vitamizer to turn into crumbs and then refreeze.
This would make the crumbs more even in sixze and not be affected by soft fresh(er) or hard stale bread.

Rastys

[Chef]

Re: Making bread crumbs

James:

We cut the bread up in slices, let it dry out for a few days, the in the blender it goes!! We put them in an old store bought bread crumb container - you know the cardboard tube with the plastic lid. We just keep them on the pantry shelf, no freezing. We also make two different textures fine and coarse. Fine we use for breading, coarse for stuffings.

Hope that helps!

Malinda

[Bob C]

Re: Making bread crumbs

James,
I agree with Xabia Jim...several minutes in a warm oven...then into blender of food processor has always worked for me>
Enjoy

[Frances]

Re: Making bread crumbs

If you warm the bread to dry it out, does that stop the bread crumbs from going mouldy?

Left over bread often starts going mouldy in my kitchen, specially in the summer, and that has kept me from storing bread crumbs for any length of time. Deepfreezing is a good idea though, why didn't I think of that?!

[Bob C]

Re: Making bread crumbs

Frances, i feel that no moisture equals no mold. it has always worked for me>
P.S....love the mosaic
Bob

[gjbingham]

Re: Making bread crumbs

I recommend preservatives to keep out the mold. They add an indescribable Mmmmm good flavor too!

[BrianShaw]

Re: Making bread crumbs

Ha ha... preservatives... that's funny!

I often have more bread crumbs than bread. All old bread in my house becomes crumbs. Different techniques yield different crumbs (I generally dispise specialization but this is one of my exceptions): food processor = rough crumbs; blender = fine crumbs; grater = panko-like crumbs. The state of the bread also makes a difference: fresh bread = coarser; dried bread = finer; stale bread = easiest. I dry mine in a warm oven (overnight is often enough) to drive out the moisture. Then I store in bottles or zip-top baggies. I have lots of bottles or zip-top baggies with all types of crumbs.

I only make fresh crumbs when I'm going to use them for a recipe.

My motto: a crumb is not a crumb is not a crumb. Every serious chef should have crumbs of all types at their disposal.

[james]

Re: Making bread crumbs

Excellent Brian,
I will keep that in mind -- I can see I have to take my crumbs more seriously! I have learned that the food processor and blender make different types of breadcrumbs. I will let you know if I get mold. I used one of those snap-on plastic containers.
James