Wait. What?
You don’t need a recipe for breadcrumbs? You can just buy that handy-dandy box at the market, thankyouverymuch?
Well, technically, true.
And now, you have all sorts of choices, including those lovely trendy Panko bread crumbs that everybody and their maiden aunts Effie and Ettie (The Girls) are using.
BUT…
how about if you take a look at the ingredients on the side of those handy little packages.
Go ahead, I’ll wait…
I will BET there’s a heckuva lot more in there than:
Flour, Salt, Sugar, Water, Sour Cream, Butter, White Vinegar, Yeast, Sourdough Starter (which, I should note, is: flour, sugar, water and yeast), plus a few herbs and seasonings.
Yep. I thought so…
INGREDIENTS
•1 loaf bread – I used most of a loaf of sourdough plus the end (about 1/4 loaf) of sourdough rye
•2 tbsp dried parsley
•2 tbsp dried oregano
•1 tsp garlic powder
•2 tsp salt
•1 tsp black pepper
•1 tsp paprika
Feel free to change or adjust the seasonings to suit your taste (another advantage to making your own).
Heat the oven to 300°.
Slice the bread, cut into cubes, and run through the food processor fitted with the metal blade – if your bread is anything like mine, you will end up with some crumbs and some big chunks – no worries.
As each batch of bread cubes is processed, tumble them out into a large roasting pan.
Pop into the oven for 10 minutes, then stir.
Back into the oven for another 10 minutes, then stir again.
Back into the oven for another 10 minutes, then stir.
OK, we’re getting to the end – back into the oven for just about 8 more minutes, and you’re done! Keep an eye on them especially during this last phase, and remove them when they are a lovely, toasty golden brown.
Allow to cool, then run the crumbs through the processor again – I ended up with around six cups of (mostly) finely ground, nicely toasted bread crumbs.
Add the seasonings of your choice and stir to mix well.
I store mine in a sealed plastic bag in the bread box, if I’m planning on using them soon), or in the freezer for longer term storage.
So, you now have breadcrumbs – which work a treat, I might add, in buttermilk meatballs – and, if you cut out that second bit with the food processor, you have a pretty nice starter on your holiday stuffing, and no need to go mucking about with the stuff from the store.
See? You DO need this recipe.