Okay, so I’ve been trying to eat healthier lately, and that means cutting out gluten. A real pain, I know! But it’s been making a difference. Anyway, one of the things I really missed was bread crumbs. They’re just so useful, you know? For topping casseroles, breading chicken, all that good stuff. So, I decided I had to figure out a way to make gluten-free bread crumbs at home.
First, I gathered up my ingredients. I grabbed a loaf of gluten-free bread that I had in the freezer. Honestly, any kind will work. You can even use the end pieces that nobody ever wants to eat. Just make sure it is actually gluten-free bread. I also grabbed some basic seasonings from the pantry.
Getting Started
I started by cutting the bread into cubes. They don’t have to be perfect, just roughly the same size so they dry out evenly. I think mine were about an inch, give or take. Then, I preheated my oven to a really low temperature, like 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The goal is to dry the bread out, not really to bake it further.
- Cut bread into cubes
- Preheat oven to 200F
Drying the Bread
Next, I spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Again, you want them to dry evenly, so try not to overcrowd them too much. Popped the baking sheet in the oven and let them do their thing. I’d recommend you to check it every 30 minutes.
- Spread cubes on a baking sheet
- Bake, checking every 30 minutes.
Making Crumbs
They took about an hour, maybe a little longer, to get nice and dry. You want them to feel hard and crispy. I took the baking sheet out and let the bread cool down completely, which took about 10 minutes. You should also pay attention to this step. Once they were cool, I dumped the dried bread cubes into my food processor. You could also use a blender. Pulsed it a few times until I got the consistency I wanted. You can make them as fine or as coarse as you like. I prefer mine a little on the coarser side.
After that, I transferred them to a bowl. If you want seasoned bread crumbs, this is where you’d add your seasonings. I just sprinkled in some garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. You can use any herbs or spices you want. Italian seasoning, paprika, whatever you like. I mixed it all up with a spoon.
- Cool completely.
- Pulse in a food processor
- Transfer to a bowl and add seasonings (optional)
Storing the Bread Crumbs
Finally, I put the finished bread crumbs in an airtight container. They should last for a few weeks at room temperature, or even longer in the fridge or freezer. And that’s it! Super easy, right?
Now I have a big batch of gluten-free bread crumbs ready to go whenever I need them. I used some the other night to make a delicious gluten-free chicken parmesan, and it was amazing! Definitely give this a try if you’re gluten-free and missing your bread crumbs. You won’t regret it! It’s really a game-changer for gluten-free cooking. Hope this helps someone out there. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!
Enjoy!