Crumbs & Crusts

If you are looking for a basic bread recipes, you can find mine here. However, if you're wondering what on Earth you'll do with all of the breads you've baked after discovering that you have mad skills in the oven but not enough stomachs to consume them all, I have a solution for that! Well, more like a list of possibilities, but this post will cover two: crumbs and crusts.

Breadcrumbs are essentially tiny pieces of bread without the moisture. They are extremely versatile and I find that, at least in my kitchen, they're a HOT little item to keep on hand. I have seen a lot of bread crumb recipes and some ask for the use of stale bread, others do not. I haven't ever tried it with a stale loaf because I typically THINK about making them a day ahead but I forget to actually take them out and place them on the counter to be stale in the morning. It usually goes on my mental list that I can never seem to find… yep, that is where I put it! If only I could find it. Back to the point, they're easy to make and once you get the hang of it you'll be pulling a batch together in fifteen minutes or less (and the majority of that is oven time).

What you will need:
Oven
Baking Sheet
Wooden Spoon
Tin Foil/Parchment (optional)
Bread Knife
Bread
Food Processor
Dry Herbs (optional)
Airtight Container

Heat oven to 350.

Cube your bread and place it on your foil-lined (optional) baking sheet (DO NOT grease the sheet or foil) in a single layer. Place the sheet in the oven and bake for approximately seven minutes, stirring after about five to prevent browning on the underside. Remove from oven and place pieces in the food processor. 

Pulse for approximately thirty to forty-five seconds and return to sheet. Bake an additional five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and pulse in food processor again. Add dried herbs at this point if desired (I add 1 TBSP dried herb for every two cups of crumbs). 

Allow the breadcrumbs to cool completely before storing in airtight container. Now, if you're just itching to use some of these amazing homemade bread crumbs try Lobster Mac & Cheese or Apple Pepperjack Pork Loin, I promise they do not disappoint.

Croûte is a French word meaning "crust". Crouton stems from this word, although they aren't solely crusts (however, if your family doesn't eat the "heels" or crusts of your loaves of bread, you can always freeze them until you've got enough for a batch) it is another option! Croutons are made similarly to breadcrumbs except we ADD flavor and subtract the food processor.

What you will need:
Oven
Baking Sheet
Wooden Spoon
Tin Foil/Parchment
Bread Knife
Bread
Butter/Olive Oil (optional)
Garlic (optional)
Cheese, grated (optional)
Salt & Pepper (optional)
Dry Herbs (optional)
Airtight Container

Heat the oven to 350. Cube your bread and toss it LIGHTLY with butter, garlic, cheese, salt & pepper (these are all optional as a lot of people like plain croutons). Rule of thumb is about 2 TBSP of butter forevery four cups of cubed bread, you want just enough so topping will stick. Garlic and cheese are all relative. I love garlic & I love cheese HOWEVER they are both high in oil content and the goal is to dry out the bread, not keep it hydrated. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake approximately five minutes then begin stirring it occasionally until the cheese begins to crisp up and bread feels dry. Remove from oven and toss with dry herbs. Cool before storing. My boys will snack on them, but they're most happy atop a fresh homemade salad.

There it is, simple and supreme!