How to make homemade breadcrumbs with a chopper?
Making homemade breadcrumbs with a chopper simply involves reducing dry or lightly toasted bread into fine crumbs in just a few seconds of short pulses. It's a waste-reducing tip that prevents throwing away leftover bread, while offering a fresher and more controlled texture than store-bought breadcrumbs. Here's how to do it, which bread to choose, and how to store them.
Why make your own breadcrumbs instead of buying them
Industrial breadcrumbs often contain preservatives and excess salt to extend their shelf life on the shelf. By preparing them yourself, you salvage bread that would otherwise be thrown away, without additives or superfluous ingredients.
It's also a matter of freshness. Homemade breadcrumbs, prepared just before use, retain a stronger bread flavor than an industrial version that may have spent several months on the shelf before reaching your kitchen. Once ready, they also serve as a binder, for example in our homemade ground meat meatballs.
Which bread to choose for good breadcrumbs
The bread must be dry or slightly stale to produce fine and even breadcrumbs. Bread that is still moist sticks to the blades and forms a paste rather than crumbs.
- Dry sandwich bread: produces fine and light breadcrumbs, ideal for breading cutlets
- Stale baguette: produces a more rustic texture, with a slight crunch
- Dry country bread: provides a stronger flavor, suitable for casseroles
If the bread is not yet dry enough, put it in the oven at 100 °C for 10 minutes to completely dry it out before chopping. This step prevents any residual moisture that would cause the breadcrumbs to mold once stored.
Can you make breadcrumbs with whole wheat or multigrain bread?
Yes, these breads produce more rustic and slightly darker breadcrumbs, with a stronger flavor. They are particularly well suited for vegetable casseroles or fish breading.
Should you remove the bread crust before making breadcrumbs?
No, the crust can be chopped with the crumb. It even adds a little extra texture and color to the final breadcrumbs, without altering the result.
Steps to prepare breadcrumbs in the chopper
The method remains simple, provided you work with very dry bread. An electric chopper with a bowl and blades does this job in a few seconds.
- Cut the bread into pieces of 2 to 3 cm to make chopping easier
- Place the pieces in the bowl without filling it to the brim, to allow the blades to circulate
- Pulse for 2 to 3 seconds, shaking the bowl between each pulse
- Check the texture and continue if necessary until you obtain fine and homogeneous crumbs
- Sift if necessary to remove larger pieces that remained whole
For very fine breadcrumbs suitable for classic breading, one final pass of a few extra seconds refines the texture even further.
How to store homemade breadcrumbs?
Homemade breadcrumbs keep for 2 to 3 weeks in an airtight container, away from moisture and light. For longer storage, they freeze very well for several months in an airtight bag, ready to use as soon as they come out of the freezer.
Variations of homemade breadcrumbs
The same small chopper also prepares a homemade pesto. Several variations allow you to customize your breadcrumbs according to the recipes: add dried herbs de Provence for aromatic breading, grated Parmesan mixed in after chopping for a more flavorful casserole, or paprika for a spicy touch on breaded cutlets. For a richer crust, crushed almonds or hazelnuts mix very well with breadcrumbs: our guide on the chopper for nuts, seeds, and dried fruits explains how to break them without turning them into paste.
Mixed with a persillade, breadcrumbs also make the crust of Provençal tomatoes: our homemade persillade recipe gives the proportions of parsley and garlic.
A compact chopper for always fresh breadcrumbs
Making your own breadcrumbs remains one of the simplest waste-reducing actions in the kitchen, provided you start with very dry bread. An electric mini chopper handles this task in a few seconds, without effort or additional utensils. Discover our selection of electric mini choppers to transform your bread leftovers into a quick and even action.
Find all our devices for chopping and mixing on Hachoir Cuisine.