The best bread for making breadcrumbs is the most basic.
Making breadcrumbs at home is simple, it takes advantage of stale bread and allows you to choose a neutral white bread that adapts to almost any preparation.
There are pantry staples that are hard to live without, and breadcrumbs are one of them. They significantly improve macaroni and cheese and are essential for chicken parmesan, crispy air-fried meatballs, or breaded cutlets. Although it's readily available at the supermarket, making it from scratch is very simple: all you need is a food processor, a hand blender, or a resealable bag and a rolling pin.
Making it at home has its advantages. It uses up bread that would otherwise go to waste, one of the most useful ways to repurpose stale bread. And, above all, it allows you to customize the result for each recipe. Pre-seasoned breadcrumbs, on the other hand, limit the flavor profile and may not go well with all dishes.
Neutral-flavored white bread is the ideal base. Breads with a strong character, such as sourdough with a touch of acidity, rye with seeds, or wholemeal with an earthy flavor, might clash once crumbled. If you're making meatballs for an Italian meal, you can add garlic and basil; if they're Thai-inspired, add cilantro and lemongrass paste.
With white breadcrumbs, the grating can be adapted to any recipe: cayenne pepper or cumin, sage or basil, garlic and onion powder. It can even be sweet, with cinnamon and sugar, to sprinkle on ice cream. Far from being bland, neutral breadcrumbs are a blank canvas that can be easily customized, and the finished dishes will have a distinct flavor and character.
