Crafting Perfect Bread Crumbs with Your Bread Maker

Bread crumbs are a go-to for all things culinary, from bragging rights to the perfect meatloaf/burger to a satisfying crunchy topping on a casserole. Homemade has always been better than store-bought, but when you utilize a bread maker, you not only get a loaf of bread you can be proud of, but also the ability to reuse the crust for some new incredible cheeses/salads or for other purposes because they are always in your fridge! Let's find out how using your bread maker will help you make bread crumbs easier and with less waste!

Why Your Bread Maker is the Secret to Superior Bread Crumbs

The process of making bread crumbs from scratch begins with having high-quality bread made with a bread maker machine. By baking your own bread loaf, you have total control over what goes into your loaf, giving you the opportunity to be as creative as you want. Therefore, you can have anything from a traditional white loaf to nutty whole wheat to a sourdough with a great sour flavor, all using your bread maker machine to create that fresh-baked, preservative-free bread that you can then make into bread crumbs.

There are many reasons to make your own bread at home. You can customize the taste of your own homemade bread to match the dish that you are going to create, ensuring that the flavor of your bread crumbs will enhance and complement the meal that you are preparing. Using the stale bread produced from making your own bread (a common occurrence in the home bread-making experience) will give you a drier texture for the bread crumbs, making them even crispier! If you have specific dietary needs, the best bread machines will allow you to make gluten-free loaves of your favorite breads and use the same recipe to create delicious gluten-free bread crumbs.

Choosing the Right Bread for Your Crumbs

The types of breads you use will define the flavor of your bread crumbs. Here’s a quick tip to help you decide:

White Bread: Yields soft, neutral-flavored crumbs that are perfect for light coatings on fish or chicken.
Whole Wheat Bread: Adds a heartier, nuttier flavor and extra fiber, excellent for savory dishes.
Sourdough Bread: Provides a distinctive tangy taste that can add depth to stuffings and toppings.
Multigrain or Seeded Bread: Creates a more complex flavor and texture, ideal for adding interest to casseroles or veggie burgers.

Finding the right recipe that fits your taste buds can be done by trying all sorts of bread maker recipes. This "notional" approach allows you to think outside the box, and with the right combination developed through experimentation, you can create bread that you'll love!

From Loaf to Crumb: A Step-by-Step Guide

Once you've finished making and eating your homemade bread, don't throw away the remaining pieces! Stale bread is actually better for making breadcrumbs than fresh. To make breadcrumbs from stale bread, simply follow these easy steps below:

Step 1: Drying the Bread

If your bread is not already stale, then dry it out in the oven to make breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Cut the bread into square shapes, with each cube measuring about 1 inch wide, and lay them out evenly on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for between 10 and 15 minutes until the bread is dry and lightly browned (but not burned). Clock halfway through the baking process to provide an even drying process for the bread.

Step 2: Grinding into Crumbs

Let the dry bread cool completely before transferring the cubes into your food processor or blender, and finely chop the cubes until they reach the desired consistency (finely chopped crumbs for a delicate crust outside; coarsely chopped crumbs are about as fine as the breadcrumbs sold in stores; they have a slightly larger grain than grated cheese, and about the same size grains are fluffy). If you don't have a food processor or a blender, you can also use a handheld mixing bowl along with a sealed plastic bag and a hammer to crush the bread cubes into crumb shape.

Step 3: Seasoning (Optional)

You can also add your favorite herbs and spices to the breadcrumbs. Classic "Italian-style" flavors usually include garlic powder, oregano, basil, and parsley, while if you want more of a zest to it, cayenne pepper or red chili powder may be good choices, and grated parmesan cheese also works very well for an intense umami sensation.

Step 4: Storing Your Creation

To keep homemade breadcrumbs fresh, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Normally, breadcrumbs stored at room temperature will stay fresh for one week. When stored in the refrigerator, breadcrumbs will remain fresh for about one month. If you want to store your breadcrumbs for longer than one month, you should store them in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze them for three to six months.

Delicious Bread Maker Recipes to Get You Started

To create the most amazing bread crumbs, you must first start with a good loaf of bread. To get started, consider the following three recipes for homemade loaves of bread using an automated bread maker.

Classic White Bread: This recipe is very basic and yields a white bread that is neutral in flavor, therefore suitable for any purpose. The ingredients needed for this white bread recipe are 1 cup of warm water, 3 tbsp. of sugar, 3 tbsp. of vegetable oil, 1.5 tsp. of salt, 3 cups of bread flour, and 2 tsp. of yeast. You should set your bread maker to the basic setting when preparing this bread.
Hearty Whole Wheat Bread: If you want a bread with a healthier and nuttier crumb than the above type of bread, then consider this recipe for a whole wheat bread. To make this recipe, you will need 1 ¼ cups of water, 2 tbsp. of honey, 2 tbsp. of oil, 3 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 cup of bread flour, 1 tsp. of salt, and 2 ¼ tsp. of yeast.
Savory Herb Bread: If you want to make specifically designed for making bread crumbs, you can add dried herbs (e.g., rosemary, thyme, or sage) directly into the ingredients of your bread maker. This helps to infuse the bread with flavor.

Creative Uses for Your Homemade Bread Crumbs

Perfect Breading—Dredging chicken, fish, or eggplant Parmesan in flour, dipping it in beaten egg, and then covering it completely with the bread crumbs gives it a crispy crust; then bake or fry.

Flavorful Binding Agent: The fresh bread crumbs in meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers absorb moisture and help bind the other ingredients together for a tender texture.
Irresistible Topping: Use fresh bread crumbs to coat the top of macaroni and cheese, pasta bakes, and gratins before baking to provide a crunchy texture contrast.
Irresistible Toppings: Sprinkle over macaroni and cheese, pasta bakes, or gratins before baking to add a delicious, crunchy contrast.
Tasty Stuffings: Combine the fresh bread crumbs with sautéed vegetables, broth, and herbs to create a flavorful stuffing for your poultry or bell peppers.

Choosing the Best Bread Maker for Your Kitchen

When choosing a bread maker, be sure to consider the size of the loaf it makes and other settings. Many makers can bake a loaf of 2 lbs, which would be beneficial for most households, as well as having the option to make gluten-free or whole-grain loaves. In addition, they should have at least one removable nonstick pan, as this will help make cleanup easier. Manufacturers such as Zojirushi, Cuisinart, and Panasonic continue to receive high customer satisfaction ratings due to their quality and reliability.

At Manastin, we know that great meals come from quality ingredients, even those as simple as bread crumbs. By incorporating the bread maker into baking, you create a more unique product using the most basic of ingredients.

Next time you bake, consider baking an additional loaf for future use. When the loaf becomes stale, turn it into fresh, homemade breadcrumbs. You'll find that these breadcrumbs will have a unique combination of taste and texture that is not available in-store.