This, my friends, is a classic bread fail. I was experimenting and forgot to turn the oven on. Then it rose faster than I expected so the oven wasn’t hot enough so it started deflating before I got it into the oven. Sadness.
bread fail 🙁
Now I know that all y’all think I’m perfect, so I’m sorry to disillusion you. 🙂 But, ya know, stuff happens.
So, when life hands you bread fails what’s a girl to do? Make bread crumbs, of course! I seasoned these up with Italian herbs, because I have an awesome meatball recipe that I use them in, but you can always leave ‘em plain if you want to.
And it really doesn’t matter what kind of bread you use. I mix it up all the time. In fact, if you have heels or bits that have gotten a little old, throw them in the freezer until you have enough to make the breadcrumbs. Or, you could leave them out to dry and store them in a cupboard till you’re ready for them.
OK. On to the recipe!
I use all homegrown or organic herbs. What I don’t grow I like to get from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Italian Breadcrumbs
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary
I just broke the loaves in pieces and threw them in the blender. They were already pretty dry because I left them out on the counter for a few days. I let the blender run until the pieces were pretty small, then I shook it up to make sure no big pieces were being sneaky and hiding on the bottom. There were, so I ran it again. 🙂
Then I shook it down so I could tell how many cups of crumbs I had. My recipe calls for 2 cups and I had 4 so I doubled my herbs. I just add them right into the blender. And run it again. That way the larger herbs like rosemary get chopped up smaller.
Then you pour it into a shallow pan and smooth it out.
Put it in a 250° F oven for 2 hours stirring every 30 minutes. This step does two things. It dries it out and gives it a pretty golden color. If you want to skip this step you can always toast the bread before you put it in the blender. Or just make sure it’s really dry.
Let cool completely before putting in a storage container. I like to use canning jars because, well, I have a LOT of canning jars. And because it’s easy to tell what it is. I also use my vacuum sealer with the jar attachment to seal the lid. That way it stays fresh longer. If you don’t have one and the breadcrumbs get a little damp you can always put them back in the oven to dry them out again.
BONUS:
I may be the last person on the planet to have learned this trick, but in case I wasn’t…The absolutely easiest way to wash a blender or food processor bowl is to put some warm water and a drop or 2 or dish soap in it and turn it on. Run for a few minutes and rinse. Ta Dah!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Italian Bread Crumbs
Ingredients
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- 1 tsp course grind black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in blender and process until everything is a uniform size.
- Put in shallow pan and place in a 250 degree F oven for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
- Let cool completely and store in a tightly sealed glass jar.
Notes
Poppy says
My niece and I have been wanting to make sourdough bread and I am SO EXCITED and blessed to have found your wonderful site! I adore your sense of humor and literally LOL when I scrolled down and saw your “fail” bread! I so needed this laughter! I will let you know how we do!
Also, do you know what type of gluten free flour your friend used?
Thanks for your time, effort, knowledge, and willingness to help others!
Cery says
Hi Poppy!
I’m so glad you found me! Hope the starter is going well.
I think my friend used a gluten free flour mix from King Arthur. I dont remember exactly though. Sorry.
Cery