Homemade Sourdough Breadcrumbs

Got stale sourdough bread? Make homemade sourdough breadcrumbs! Simply blend and use within your next recipe calling for breadcrumbs.

Sourdough breadcrumbs are great way to use the old, stale or dry bread. They are an easy way to add crunch to any dish and a great way to recycle bread which you might not eat if it is not fresh (or forgot to freeze it before it was a few days old). 

When I went gluten free, breadcrumbs easily left my diet. While there are not a ton of uses for breadcrumbs in my day-to-day life, recipes like sourdough mac and cheese bites, Parmesan crusted chicken, Nashville hot chicken, or meatballs left our meal plan too.

Thankfully, sourdough has not bothered my stomach. Therefore we have been able to save money from buying less gluten free food and we can make these from scratch in minutes!

Not only do we use this for elevating recipes but we also use it as a breadcrumb coating for things like avocados and salmon cakes. My first baby started baby led weaning and enjoyed avocados for her first food.

Now that we know about sourdough breadcrumbs, we will be using them to coat avocados instead of Panko bread crumbs in the future.

Why you will love this recipe

There are many reasons to love sourdough breadcrumbs made from scratch.

• Fresh: These can be made in a flash, with any type of bread you may have.
• Healthy: Sourdough breadcrumbs are a healthy breadcrumbs recipe because sourdough bread is a fermented grain. This means it is gut-friendly. Plus as an added bonus, there are no preservatives required for longevity.
• Simple: This recipe could not be simpler. Simply take bread, make sure it is dry and blend it.
• Great additive to recipes: Breadcrumbs can be used as a topping for mac and cheese, to batter fish or chicken in a recipe, to make anything deep fried that needs a coating and even in pasta dishes to give more texture.

Ingredients

The one required ingredient for sourdough breadcrumbs made from scratch is sourdough bread. Yup, that is it!

There are no seasonings required for Panko breadcrumbs. To make homemade Panko breadcrumbs with sourdough bread, remove the crust from your favorite white bread and follow the same process to make breadcrumbs outlined below.

To make breadcrumbs with an Italian flavor (like for Parmesan Crusted Chicken), you can add seasonings respectively. For one pound of sourdough bread crumbs, add 1 tsp (teaspoon) garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp oregano and 1 TBS (tablespoon) parsley.

You can use pre-made Italian seasoning, though it may overpower the breadcrumbs. If using a remade Italian seasoning to flavor your breadcrumbs, start with 1 teaspoon.

Kitchen Tools

Making breadcrumbs is fairly simple.

• Blender
  • We use a blender to make our sourdough breadcrumbs quickly
• Sheet pan
  • A sheet pan makes it easy to dry out bread if your sourdough bread is fresh or was in the freezer before you eat breadcrumbs
• Plastic bag or reusable bag
  • One of the easiest ways to make breadcrumb is by smashing breadcrumbs in a bag by hand
• Plastic mallet or Rolling Pin
  • An easy way to make sourdough breadcrumbs is by smashing them with one of these tools in a plastic bag

How to make Homemade Sourdough Breadcrumbs

There are two methods to make sourdough breadcrumbs, by hand or the use of a kitchen machine once your bread is dry.

If your bread is not dry, first cut your bread into smaller pieces. Allow to dry overnight on the countertop of place them into the oven at 325 degrees. Allow them to become golden brown in color. Next, blend (or smash) the dried bread into smaller pieces.

To use a blender or food processor, place the sourdough breadcrumbs into the food processor and blend into your desired texture.

To make by hand, place the sourdough bread (or croutons) in a plastic bag. Smash with plastic mallet, rubber mallet rolling, pin, or hand until your desired texture is reached.

Add seasonings, if needed, and add to your recipe calling for breadcrumbs.

Storing Sourdough Breadcrumbs

If you are making sourdough breadcrumbs in advance, you can store them on the counter until you are ready to use place within an airtight container. Use within 3 to 5 days of making. Place breadcrumbs in the freezer for long-term storage for up to six months.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What if I do not have dry or stale sourdough bread? Can I use fresh bread to make sourdough breadcrumbs?

If you do not have dried out (or stale) sourdough bread handy, dry out your bread in the oven. Turn the oven onto 325°F, break your bread into pieces and allow them to cook until they are golden brown. They will be hard / crunchy when touched.

Once the pieces cool slightly, add them to the food processor, blender or smash them by hand. 

If you do not need the breadcrumbs right away, leave your sourdough bread out on the counter overnight. Make the breadcrumbs the following day.

Can I blend homemade sourdough croutons to make breadcrumbs?

Yes, this is a traditional way to make sourdough breadcrumbs. Simply blend the croutons into your desired texture.

What bread is best for breadcrumbs?

Any bread can be used for breadcrumbs. This recipe specifically uses sourdough bread, though you can use french bread, wheat bread, sandwich bread, baguette, hamburger buns, sandwich buns or even focaccia.

Can I freeze breadcrumbs?

Yes! Breadcrumbs can be frozen in an airtight container or ziplock baggie for up to 6 months.

What are good Breadcrumb variations?

You can make breadcrumbs flavored in a lot of different ways. Try adding your favorite cheese, nutritional yeast or even lemon zest.

Is sourdough good for breadcrumbs?

Absolutely! Whether you use a whole loaf of bread that just got a little too dry or stale, or you use the ends of your sourdough bread loaves, sourdough bread is great for making breadcrumbs.

How do you make a breadcrumb coating?

A breadcrumb coating can be made by putting breadcrumbs on the exterior of what you are coating. To get it to stick, you can use an egg wash before placing the sourdough breadcrumbs on the outside of the food.

Have you made homemade sourdough breadcrumbs before? If so, what did you use them on? Let us know your favorite recipe with breadcrumbs in the comments below.