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If you love baking and hate wasting food, learning to make your own sourdough breadcrumbs is a game-changer! Whether your sourdough has gone a little stale or you’re looking for creative ways to use every last slice, this easy method for making breadcrumbs will add a flavorful crunch to your favorite dishes.
In this post, I’ll walk you through a simple method for transforming leftover sourdough bread (like sourdough sandwich bread, sourdough discard sandwich bread, or sourdough French bread) into crispy breadcrumbs for meatballs, meatloaf, or oven-fried chicken thighs!
New to sourdough? Check out How to Make Sourdough Starter: A Beginner’s Step‑by‑Step + Free Printable!
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I have a hard time paying for something I can do myself. It just feels wasteful.
Buying pantry staples like mayonnaise, bone broth, and breadcrumbs falls into that category. Once I learned how easy it is to make simple foods for my family, there was no going back.
So, if you’re wondering if you can make breadcrumbs from sourdough bread, the answer is yes, and you should be really excited about it! Making a good sourdough loaf is satisfying in itself because it’s beautiful and nourishing and makes your house smell heavenly.
But if you, like me, end up with some extra bread that you forget to throw in the freezer before it goes stale, you have three options: homemade croutons, homemade breadcrumbs, or feed it to the chickens.
Today we’ll talk about choice number two.
What are breadcrumbs?
Breadcrumbs are exactly what they sound like: crumbs of bread made from fresh, stale, or toasted loaves of bread. They are used as binders for foods like meatballs and meatloaf, as a crunchy coating for chicken, pork, and fish, and as fillers in traditional favorites like stuffing.
Benefits of sourdough breadcrumbs
- Homemade sourdough breadcrumbs are healthier than anything you’ll find in the grocery store.
- They will save you money.
- Homemade breadcrumbs are versatile (more on that later).
- They are super easy to make.
- They can be stored in the freezer, making meal prep a breeze.
Why you’ll love this recipe for Sourdough Breadcrumbs
- Easy to make
- Mostly hands off
- Use up bread scraps and cut down on waste
- Use it to fill your freezer and make future meal prep easier.
- You can control the salt and flavor (seasoned vs. plain).
Different types of breadcrumbs
Fresh Breadcrumbs are softer and made from fresh or slightly stale bread. Fresh breadcrumbs are ideal for meatballs, stuffing, and other dishes.
Dry Breadcrumbs are toasted in the oven and are longer-lasting. Dry breadcrumbs are best used for breading, coating, or crispy toppings.
Panko Breadcrumbs are Japanese-style breadcrumbs. They are lighter and crispier than traditional breadcrumbs, making them ideal for frying (think onion rings and chicken).
Seasoned breadcrumbs often contain spices like onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary. They quickly flavor dishes like meatloaf or breaded pork chops, so you don’t have to.
Plain breadcrumbs only contain breadcrumbs. They allow you to add your own seasoning to the dish and conform to the flavor profile you establish.
Best bread for making breadcrumbs
When it comes to making flavorful, nourishing breadcrumbs, the type of bread you use matters. Sourdough is a top choice thanks to its chewy texture and tangy flavor, which adds depth to dishes like casseroles or meatballs. Sourdough bread is also easier to digest, making it a popular choice for people with gluten sensitivities and those following an ancestral diet.
Now, since you can make any bread sourdough, you might be wondering which kind is best for making crumbs.
My answer is that almost any kind of bread will work for making crumbs!
Crusty breads such as baguettes or artisan loaves make excellent dry breadcrumbs with a crunchy finish, ideal for breading or topping baked dishes.
White sandwich bread yields a softer crumb, perfect for stuffing or binding ingredients in recipes like meatloaf.
Whole-grain or multigrain breads can also be used, though they create a heartier crumb and may add extra texture and nutty flavor.
Avoid overly soft or enriched breads like brioche unless you’re going for a sweeter flavor profile. The key is to use day-old or stale bread, as it dries and blends more easily, making it ideal for achieving the desired texture, whether coarse or fine.
What to do with sourdough breadcrumbs
- Toppings: think crunchy toppings for your favorite mac & cheese, casseroles, or baked pasta. Try tossing them with butter or olive oil and herbs for flavor.
- Binders: think Swedish meatballs, meatballs and gravy, veggie burgers, or meatloaf.
- Coatings: try making homemade crispy chicken nuggets, fish and chips, or oven-fried chicken thighs.
- Fillers: think deep pans of warm Thanksgiving stuffing, stuffed eggplant, or zucchini boats.
Tools You May Need
How to make homemade sourdough breadcrumbs (3 ways)
Using stale or leftover sourdough bread:
Preheat your oven to 300°F.
Tear or slice the stale bread into chunks or cubes; there’s no need to remove the crust.
Spread the pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, flipping halfway, until the bread is completely dry and crisp but not browned.
Let cool completely to avoid the steam turning the crumbs soggy.
Pulse in a food processor or blender until you reach your desired texture: Coarse for toppings or fine for breading or binders
Optional: Toast the crumbs in a pan with olive oil and seasonings for added flavor.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for 3-6 months.
Using toasted bread:
Toast your bread slices in a toaster or under the broiler until they are golden brown and very dry—avoid burning.
Let the toasted bread cool completely so it stays crisp and doesn’t turn the crumbs soggy.
Break the toast into smaller chunks to make processing easier.
Add to a food processor or blender, then pulse until you reach the desired texture: Light pulses make coarse crumbs. Longer blending makes fine crumbs
Using fresh bread:
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Cut or tear the fresh bread into small cubes or chunks—crusts can stay on unless a softer crumb is desired.
Spread bread pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the bread is completely dry and crisp. Fresh bread takes longer to dry than stale bread.
Cool completely to prevent steam buildup.
Process in a food processor or blender. Pulse to a coarse texture for toppings. Process longer for fine breadcrumbs.
Optional: Sauté the crumbs in olive oil with seasonings for extra flavor and crunch.
Can you freeze sourdough breadcrumbs?
Yes! Freezing is a great way to store sourdough breadcrumbs. Simply fill airtight bags with your homemade crumbs and freeze for 3-6 months.
how to store Sourdough breadcrumbs
If you don’t want to freeze your breadcrumbs, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Where to buy sourdough breadcrumbs
If making crumbs isn’t your thing, you can buy sourdough breadcrumbs here.
Homemade Sourdough Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread (or any bread of choice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Tear or cut your bread into small chunks.
- Scatter the bread into a single layer on a large baking sheet.
- Roast the breadcrumbs for 15-30 minutes until very dry (see note).
- Remove the breadcrumbs from the oven and let them cool completely.
- Transfer the breadcrumbs to a food processor and pulse until smooth. If you want rustic breadcrumbs, pulse for less time. For finer breadcrumbs, pulse longer.If you don't have a food processor, put the breadcrumbs in a large plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Store the breadcrumbs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 3-6 months.
Notes
- The moisture of your bread will determine how long you should bake it. Fresh bread will take about 30 minutes to dry. Stale or leftover bread will take closer to 15. I recommend checking on it every 5-10 minutes so it doesn’t burn.
Closing thoughts
Making your own sourdough breadcrumbs is one of those small kitchen habits that really pays off — it’s simple, resourceful, and adds so much flavor to everyday meals. Whether you’re tossing them over pasta, using them to coat chicken, or just enjoying that satisfying crunch on top of a casserole, these homemade crumbs bring a depth of flavor that store-bought just can’t match.
Plus, it’s a great way to give leftover sourdough new life instead of letting it go to waste. Keep a jar on hand, and you’ll never look at stale bread the same way again.
