After a cook-out, I have way more burger buns than a single vegetarian can ever hope to use. I don't mind keeping a bag in the freezer for the occasional veggie burger, but I don't have the space for much more than that. So, this year, as I was breading my zucchini, I thought, "Why not make that extra bread into breadcrumbs?" You can use any sort of buns or bread, store bought or artisanal, stale or fresh. Failed attempts at baking bread work too! Before it ends up in the compost bin, try this...
here's how
- Pre-heat oven to 250 F.
- Cube bread: Using a long serrated knife, cut bread into cubes that are about a 1/2" in size.
Cut into cubes.
- Layout on cookie sheets: Be sure that the cubes are in a single layer and not stacked.
Layout on cookie sheets.
- Bake: Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and stir cubes. I usually just toss with my hands, but you have to be careful not to burn yourself. Place cubes back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. If no more softness remains, and cubes are uniformly crunchy, they're done. If not, bake for another 5 minutes or more until they are done. Check periodically to make sure they don't burn.
- Stuffing cubes? Right now, you have stuffing cubes. If you're into that sort of thing, you can stop now, and store those cubes as they are.
- Make breadcrumbs: In a food processor, process the dried cubes until they are uniformly crumbed. Alternatively, you can place the cubes in a ziplock bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until crushed.
Process dried cubes.
Breadcrumbs!
- Store in an airtight container: Mason jars are great for this!
Store in an airtight container.