Bread crumbs

For other uses, see Bread crumbs (disambiguation).

Breadcrumbs on a plate and in a box

A bag of Japanese panko breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs or bread crumbs (regional variants: breading, crispies) are small particles of dry bread, which are used for breading or crumbing foods, topping casseroles, stuffing poultry, thickening stews, and adding inexpensive bulk to meatloaves and similar foods. They are documented in cookbooks as early as 1716. They are not to be confused with simple cubed, dried bread or croutons, because breadcrumbs are much smaller in size, akin to the size of common ants.

However, the crumb of bread is also a term that refers to the texture of the inner soft part of a loaf of bread, as distinguished from the crust, or "skin".

Dry breadcrumbs are made from very dry bread which has been baked or toasted to remove most remaining moisture, and may have a sandy or even powdery texture. They can be used to make a crisp and crunchy coating for fried foods. The breads used to make soft or fresh bread crumbs are not quite as dry, so the crumbs are larger and produce a softer coating, crust, or stuffing. Bread crumbs are most easily produced by pulverizing slices of bread in a food processor, using a steel blade to make coarse crumbs, or a grating blade to make fine crumbs. A grater or similar tool will also do.

See also

• Panko - a flaked Japanese breadcrumb