Bread crumbs, or chapelure as they’re called in French, are available at the store, but there’s really no need to buy them when you can quickly, easily, and cheaply make them yourself.
Yield: 1 cup
Time: 5 minutes
Tools
- high-speed blender* or food processor
- covered container
Ingredients
- 4 slices stale sandwich bread or 8 slices stale baguette**
Directions
Break the bread into pieces, drop into the blender or food processor, and grind until fairly fine, for about 30 seconds (in blender) to 3 minutes (food processor).
Use immediately or store in a tightly-covered container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for a couple of months.
Notes
For more flavor and color, stir in up to a T of dried herbs and/or spices after grinding.
* After destroying two spice grinders and a cheap blender, I found that the very best tool for making bread crumbs, whether the bread is stale or fresh, is with the dry blade container of my Vitamix.
** No stale bread? Fairly dense bread (like a whole-wheat baguette) can be ground when fresh. Or try one of these options:
- Toast fresh bread until golden brown, let cool, and grind.
- Bake fresh bread at 250° for 30 minutes, let cool, and grind.
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