Forget the pulverized versions in a supermarket canister—perfect crumbs are not uniform in size. To get truly crunchy toppings or crisp crusts, you need a mixture of line, medium, and coarse crumbs. Making them at home is best, and it’s as easy as pulsing day-old bread in a food processor. The bread shouldn’t be either too dry or too fresh and moist. Just leave leftover bread on the counter overnight, then which into crumbs the next day. Keep the crumbs in a zip-top bag in the freezer and pull out as needed. Make whenever leftover bread is on hand, and you’ll always have a steady supply.
Yield : Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
- 8 slices baguette or other crusty bread, preferably a day old (see Note)
Directions
Remove the crust from the bread and cut it into chunks. Pulse the bread in a food processor until you have an amalgam of fine, medium, and coarse crumbs ranging in size from that of a lentil to a juniper berry.
Notes
If you do not have any day-old bread, remove the crusts from a baguette and cube the bread. Arrange the cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and toast in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool, then process to crumbs.
Would you like to leave a comment about this recipe?
Add a comment