Some recipes require fresh breadcrumbs rather than the standard dried and crunchy ones. These fresh breadcrumbs are known as "panure" in French cooking and they will be larger than dried breadcrumbs which are called "chapelure" . It may seem difficult to make fresh breadcrumbs from soft, new bread, but with a few techniques and tools, you can have fresh breadcrumbs for your next recipe.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Grating or Processing Breadcrumbs

  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Fresh Breadcrumbs
    The best bread style to use for breadcrumbs is white or whole wheat breads without seeds, large grains, or other additions like raisins or berries.
    • Avoid using bread that is very soft by nature, especially supermarket sliced breads aimed at the sandwich-making market. Some of the stronger white or whole wheat breads like French, or Italian style loaves tend to work well for making fresh breadcrumbs. [1]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Fresh Breadcrumbs
    Handling the bread is easiest if you have a loaf of unsliced bread, but a slice of bread of works well too. To make fresh breadcrumbs with a grater:
    • Cut a large slice of unsliced bread that is comfortable to hold by hand, or pick out a slice of bread from a sliced loaf and cut off the crusts.
    • Hold the sliced end against the grater. Choose a side with wider teeth holes.
    • Grate the bread. The bread will begin to crumble against the teeth and fall down in uneven pieces.
    • Continue grating until your fingers are near the grater. Stop grating before you injure your fingers. Simply discard the last portion of bread.
    • Repeat with other large slices as needed.
    Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Fresh Breadcrumbs
    A food processor is great for chopping soft foods up and grating them finely. [2]
    • Remove all crusts from the bread, using only the soft centre. [3]
    • Break the bread into small pieces. Even though a processor will do a good job, it will clog up quickly if there is too much bread to break down.
    • Process in batches. Process until the crumbs look fine enough for your needs.
    • Remove from the processor and use fresh.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Fresh Breadcrumbs
    If you want to store fresh breadcrumbs, keep them refrigerated and in an airtight container. Use by the date specified on the bread or within a few days of making. .
    • Breadcrumbs can also be stored in the freezer. Use them within 3 months and thaw them in the refrigerator. [4]
    Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Making Breadcrumbs by Freezing

  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Fresh Breadcrumbs
    The best bread style to use for breadcrumbs is white or whole wheat breads without seeds, large grains, or other additions like raisins or berries.
    • Avoid using bread that is very soft by nature, especially supermarket sliced breads aimed at the sandwich-making market. Some of the stronger white or whole wheat breads like French, or Italian style loaves tend to work well for making fresh breadcrumbs.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Fresh Breadcrumbs
    Select the number of bread slices you'd like to use and cut off the crusts of each slice. If you're using loaves of bread, dig out the soft centre of the bread.
    • About 4 slices of regular-sized bread will make 1 cup of breadcrumbs.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Fresh Breadcrumbs
    Put your bread in a freezer bag or a plastic ziplock bag. Pop it in the freezer for at least an hour or until the bread is frozen solid.
    • You can leave the bread in the freezer for up to 2 months after its expiration date.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Fresh Breadcrumbs
    Grate each slice, one by one, on a metal grater. The crumbs will be visibly finer and even in texture than if you had grated the bread in room temperature. [5]
    • Your breadcrumbs will eventually thaw to room temperature and will have obtained its fresh taste due to it being frozen.
    Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Can I make breadcrumbs without a food processor?
    Community Answer
    According to the second step of the first method, you can use a grater to make breadcrumbs.
  • Question
    Can I add herbs while making breadcrumbs in a blender?
    Community Answer
    Yes. You could add herbs at any point in the process.
  • Question
    Can I put two pieces of bread in my food processor at once?
    Community Answer
    Depending on the size of your food processor, this would be fine.
See more answers
Ask a Question

      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      • You can separate frozen bread slices by slipping a butter knife between them.
      • Breadcrumbs are a very important ingredient in making cutlets. You can make them beforehand and store them to save time when you're preparing the meal itself.
      • If flavor enhancement is important, consider making breadcrumbs from flavored breads, such as potato bread or pumpkin bread.
      Advertisement

      Things You'll Need

      • Bread
      • Grater
      • Food processor
      • Freezer


      About this article

      Article Summary X

      If you want to make fresh breadcrumbs with a sliced loaf, start by cutting off the crusts from the slices of bread. Then, use the side of your grater with larger teeth holes to grate the bread. Alternatively, try making breadcrumbs with a food processor by tearing the slices up into smaller pieces and processing them in batches until you get the consistency you want. If you're not using the breadcrumbs immediately, put them in the fridge in an air tight container, but be sure to use them by the date on the bread. To learn more, like how to freeze your bread to make it easier to grate, keep reading the article!

      Did this summary help you?
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 674,627 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Didi Stewart

        Jul 29, 2016

        "The basic step-by-step details helped. As simple as this may be, I have never made breadcrumbs before and end up ..." more

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement