A “non-recipe” homemade breadcrumbs recipe. Plus: Italian style breadcrumbs.
Have stale bread? Great! Learn how to make homemade breadcrumbs. Fresh homemade breadcrumbs are versatile, last for months, and are perfect for breading or adding texture to foods. (Bonus: an Italian-style breadcrumb recipe that’s absolutely delicious.)
Why Make Homemade Breadcrumbs
Homemade breadcrumbs are better than store-bought, and just about as easy to make as pluck from a grocery store shelf. Breadcrumbs make a fantastic ingredient for recipes like breaded chicken tenders, eggplant parm, or casseroles.
But there are other benefits to making your own breadcrumbs besides their good flavor:
- Using stale bread for breadcrumbs fights food waste, making use out of bread that might otherwise get trashed.
- Making homemade breadcrumbs is also economical, saving money as well as time spent food shopping for this simple ingredient.
Even though homemade breadcrumbs don’t really require a recipe, there are some useful things to know: which bread is best, and how to dry your bread properly, for starters.
Which Bread is Best for Homemade Breadcrumbs?
The short answer to which bread to use for homemade breadcrumbs is whichever stale (non-moldy, of course) leftover bread you would otherwise throw out. One of the main reasons for making your own breadcrumbs is to combat food waste, so put that stale bread to another use.
You can also make homemade breadcrumbs from fresh bread. I would recommend using any crusty white or wheat bread, such as baguette, levain, or Italian bread. The combination of white interior, crusty brown exterior, and good flavor makes a better-quality breadcrumb than plain sandwich bread, with variations of color and texture. Avoid breads with seeds, seasoning, or other ingredients (olives, raisins, and the like).
How to Make Bread Stale for Breadcrumbs
The only ingredient for breadcrumbs is stale bread. You can use stale bread that is tough but still soft for fresh breadcrumbs. But I like to use fully dried-out bread. It lasts indefinitely, and gives a nice, crunchy texture to food.
It’s hard to call this homemade breadcrumbs recipe a “recipe,” because there really is nothing to making them. At its most simple, you just take stale bread, grind it in the food processor, and call it a day.
There are two methods to dry bread for breadcrumbs:
- The slow method: Tear or cut the bread into rough cubes or slices. Place it on a wire rack and dry overnight on the countertop. Or,
- The quick method: Take the torn or sliced stale bread. Arrange it in a single layer on a cooling rack set over a half-sheet pan. Bake at 225 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius) for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the staleness of the bread.
Version number two (baking in a low oven) is my preferred method. Drying the bread in the oven takes a short amount of time, and guarantees that the bread will be crunchy and dry. It is important to use a low oven temperature to prevent the bread from browning or burning. A low oven temperature only dries the bread.
How to Make Homemade Breadcrumbs
Making breadcrumbs is so easy. You can also make Italian-style breadcrumbs by adding a few simple seasonings that are probably already in your spice rack.
Here’s how to make your breadcrumbs:
- Dry torn or cubed bread according to one of the methods above.
- Grind in a food processor until the dried bread becomes breadcrumbs.
- For Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs: For each cup plain breadcrumbs, ddd 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, salt, and onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley, and about 12 turns of fresh black pepper.
Italian-style breadcrumbs are perfect for breaded chicken, fried eggplant, homemade meatballs, topping pasta dishes, and many other recipes.
And if you want to make homemade dried parsley: Place a few stems of fresh parsley on the tray with the bread and dry it in the oven alongside the bread. It will dry out at the same rate, and will crumble easily in your hand.
Try your homemade breadcrumbs in these recipes:
- My Mom’s Italian Meatballs
- Old-School Eggplant Parmesan
- Roasted Green Beans With Breadcrumbs
- Baked Summer Squash Parmesan
Originally published July 11, 2021. Updated March 10, 2025.
How to Make Homemade Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
For Plain Breadcrumbs
- 1 loaf bread, preferably day old (or whatever amount you have leftover)
Seasoned Breadcrumbs: For every 1 cup breadcrumbs, add the following
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper (about 12 turns)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
For Plain Breadcrumbs
- Tear or cut the leftover, stale bread into pieces. Arrange in a single layer on a cooling rack set over a half-sheet pan. Dry overnight on the countertop, dry in a 225°F oven for 30-40 minutes, until the bread is dry and crisp. Cool.
- Working in batches, grind the dried bread chunks in a food processor until breadcrumbs form. Don't worry about uneven sizes. Use as you like.
- If you'd like to make Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, mix the herbs and spices into the ground, fresh breadcrumbs.
Notes
How to store homemade breadcrumbs
Homemade plain breadcrumbs can be stored in an airtight container for up to three months, and can also be frozen for up to six months.Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
3 comments
Leighanne
Perfect Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.
Fred
Italian breadcrumb mix was very good. I made meatballs with it. Thank you.
Susan D.
Worked perfectly! This is so easy…not sure why I haven’t been making my own breadcrumbs until now, but now I’ll do it from now on. I made the plain using the oven method.