Sourdough Breadcrumbs Recipe

After you learn how to make sourdough breadcrumbs, you'll never buy this pantry staple again! They're flavorful, customizable, and better for you than store-bought breadcrumbs without any additives or preservatives. And bonus, this recipe is a great way to use stale bread and reduce kitchen waste.

Course Condiments

Cuisine American

Keyword Sourdough Breadcrumbs

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Servings servings

Calories 101kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Equipment

Food processor (see Notes)

Ingredients

2 slices sourdough bread about 200 grams (see Notes)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

How to Make Toasted Sourdough Breadcrumbs (Stovetop Method):

Add the sourdough to a food processor. Process the bread until crumbly. NOTE: Depending on how fresh your bread is, the crumbs will likely be large, tacky crumbles at this point. Instead of croutons, coarse sourdough breadcrumbs like this are perfect for topping soups or salads, or using as a casserole topping.
Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and then the breadcrumbs, spreading them out in an even layer. Add the Italian herb seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the breadcrumbs are light golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
For fine breadcrumbs (OPTIONAL): Process them again in a food processor at this point, and then return them to the skillet to toast a little longer.

How to Make Dried Sourdough Breadcrumbs (Oven Method):

Add the sourdough to a food processor. Process the bread until crumbly. NOTE: Depending on how fresh your bread is, the crumbs will likely be large, tacky crumbles at this point. Instead of croutons, coarse sourdough breadcrumbs like this are perfect for topping soups or salads, or using as a casserole topping.
Preheat the oven to 300F. Spread the breadcrumbs out evenly on a rimmed baking tray. (Omit the oil, and wait to add the seasonings until later so they don't scorch in the oven.) Bake until the breadcrumbs are dry (try not to let them brown though), about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Let the breadcrumbs cool.
If you want to season the breadcrumbs, stir in any seasonings now.
For fine breadcrumbs (OPTIONAL): Process them again in a food processor at this point, and then return them to the oven to dry a little longer.

Video

Notes

To Make Dried Breadcrumbs Without a Food Processor or Blender: Cut or tear your bread (bonus points if your bread is stale!) into about 1-inch pieces (or smaller), spread the pieces out on a baking tray, and dry them out in a 300F oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. After that, let them cool, put them in a zip-top plastic bag, and gently crush them with a rolling pin. If need be, you can return them to the oven after crushing to dry them out a bit more.
Sourdough Bread: For this recipe, you'll need 2 large slices of bread cut in half (about 200 grams total). I only bake a loaf of sourdough about once a month, so I slice my sourdough and I keep the slices in the freezer. When I want to make breadcrumbs, I partially thaw the sourdough slices beforehand because I find that it's easier to process sourdough in the food processor if it's still partially frozen. Feel free to use stale sourdough bread (or any kind of bread you like) for this recipe.
For Fresh Breadcrumbs: Just process the bread in a food processor until it forms crumbs. The crumbs will likely feel a bit tacky and be on the larger side. You can use them as fresh breadcrumbs like this. When a recipe calls for fresh breadcrumbs, they usually are unseasoned, but you can season them if you like.
Should I Use the Stovetop or Oven Method to Dry Breadcrumbs? For me, this depends on how I want to use the breadcrumbs. If I'm using them as a crunchy topping for salads, soups, or casseroles, I typically use the stovetop method and leave them coarse. And if I want to use them as breading (like for breaded chicken) or a binder (like in meatballs), I go with the oven method and make them fine.
Storage: Store fresh breadcrumbs in an airtight container in the fridge (up to 2 weeks) or in the freezer (up to 3 months). Store dried breadcrumbs in an airtight container at room temperature (up to 2 weeks) or in the freezer (up to 6 months). TIP: If you're using these as a crunchy topping and they need re-crisping, you can reheat them briefly in a dry skillet on the stovetop or in a 325F oven to dry them out again.
Recipe Yield, Serving Size, and Nutrition Information: This recipe will yield different (volume) amounts depending on whether you keep the breadcrumbs fresh or if you dry them, or if you grind them finely or coarsely. You'll get about 3 cups of fresh breadcrumbs from 200 grams of sourdough bread, or 2 cups of coarsely ground dried breadcrumbs. The nutritional information was based on this recipe yielding 6 servings, and it includes the oil and seasonings.

Nutrition