I remember when I first transitioned my family to gluten free eating.  One of the hardest items to replace was breadcrumbs.  I used breadcrumbs with great regularity.  I tested many commercial brands but none were to my liking.  I finally resorted to making my own by crushing a box of unsweetened gluten free rice cereal.  This worked well but was still missing something.

Soon after, I began to simply make my own breadcrumbs using a loaf of gluten free bread.  It is really so easy to do.

Begin by selecting a loaf of your favorite gluten free bread.  I used Canyon Bakehouse’s Mountain White Bread.   Cut each slice of bread into a 4 x 4 grid, producing 16 individual cubes of bread.

Line a large baking sheet (or two small ones) with parchment paper.  Scatter the cubes among the baking sheet(s).  The bread cubes should not be crowded; they will crisp much better if there is ample room around each piece.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Place the baking sheet(s) into the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Flip the bread cubes over and return the baking sheets to the oven.  Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the bread is hard and dried.

Drying the bread out at a low oven temperature prevents the bread from over-browning or burning.  You may also choose to simply stale the bread without the use of the oven.  Either method works well.

Allow the bread to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Place the bread cubes, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper into a food processor or blender.  Pulse until the bread is broken down into crumbs.   I processed the breadcrumbs pictured below into a very fine crumb.

The longer you process the bread for, the finer the breadcrumbs will be.  If you would like to have breadcrumbs with a visible crumb, process for a shorter time.

Place in an airtight container and use as needed.

That’s it!  Really, how easy is that?

I love the fact that you have complete control over the ingredients and have the ability to add whatever spices you love.  It’s so easy to customize.

I know that this may sound silly, but a homemade batch of gluten free breadcrumbs makes a wonderful gift.  I’m pretty sure you’ll receive lots of smiles, thanks, and maybe a hug for a gift like that!

So whether you’re looking to sprinkle some breadcrumbs on top of a homemade dish of macaroni and cheese or looking for a totally delish breading for some chicken fingers, this recipe has you covered (hey, that was funny).

Gluten Free Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs

1 loaf gluten free bread (I used Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread 1 lb. 2 oz.)
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

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