Can I make breadcrumbs without a food processer?

[CoffeeMum]

Or is that a really stupid question! I assume I can't just chop slices of bread up very finely with a big knife.

I'll get my coat...

Thanks in advance

Yes, you can, but you'll need to watch your fingers!! I've only successfully managed it with stale bread using a cheese grater. Fresh bread just won't work as you can't get it to grate. Either I already have stale bread, or I leave it "aerating" (leaning against the wall on the work surface) or I let it dry out in a warm oven.

Actually, thinking about it, if you don't have a cheese grater you could I suppose break the bread up and try to force through a sieve? Depends how desperate you are...... :)

Good luck!

Have you tried croutons crushed as an alternative to breadcrumbs? taste yummy, especially the herb ones

Do you mean without any electric appliance at all? If not a food processor, one of the other kitchen gadgets will do - a liquidiser, mixer grinder, chopper attachment of hand blender...

Thanks all! Hmmm, not only do I have no electrical appliances mentioned [well, only a stick blender, but it's got no special attachment, so i don't suppose that will do the trick] but i also only have fresh bread.

Oh dear, perhaps today is not the day to try a new recipe, or maybe I need to splash out on one of those mini food processors. What else can I do with them? Seems a bit much to buy a special item for making breadcrumbs, but could try your croutons idea drivin - good thinking!

Thank you for your replies

I used to make toast then grate it.

Yes, put bread slices in a warm oven - say 130C or so, for about 20-25 minutes and see how you get on. You can keep leftover breadcrumbs in the fridge or freezer, and use as and when necessary.

Yes to grating. I have also pounded toast with the pestle & mortar. My mum has an old fashioned mincer that she uses v successfully.

A stick blender will do it, the bread just needs to be torn up small first. I find it jumps out of the top of the container, so I cover it with the teatowel so that the worksurface doesn't end up covered in crumbs.

Love the name... Smear an avocado on my lower portions...

Yes of course you can,it just takes longer. If you can cut slices and toast, the just crumble in your fingers.

I need fresh breadctumbs for the Christmas pudding. Before food processor, you just took a large chunk of bread and broke in into small bits with the tips of your fingers, a bit like pastry it scores. Easy easy.

I can't eat bread (gluten intolerant) so I use polenta (roughly ground maize) instead. It is brilliant if you are coating something before frying. Works better than breadcrumbs but with non of the faff - just pours straight from the bag.

If you really want breadcrumbs then dry in a very very low oven for an hour before grinding or grating up.

I just use a cheese grater, works fine.

Or you can freeze some bread - it grates easily when frozen too...

You could use your hands - crumble them all up.

toast it and grate it, that's what I'd do.

Toast bread

Put in sandwich bag

Bash to smithereens with rolling pin'

I second third fourth fifth the cheese grater idea. Even with fresh bread it's do-able. Just mind your fingers.

Freeze the bread and then grate it with the grater.

Bend me over backwards on the hostess trolley

put bread in freezer for a bit - when it's gone hard use a grater. Do not over freeze though.

whoops x posts with home!

As a coating for fishcakes and whatnot is the only appropriate use for polenta known to man. I used some on fishcakes last weekend, it was v.good. I dread to think how long it's been in the cupboard for...

Beta I thought polenta was made with durum wheat, like pasta?

what do you need the breadcrumbs for? if its for mixing with mince meat, for meatballs or something, you can soak the bread in milk, then squeeze it out, and mix it in to the meat like that...

Hello, i'm back! Thank you very much for all your replies, I feel a bit brazen now because at the mention of grating fresh bread to get breadcrumbs, I decided that a mini-food-processor was just vital. Grating anything other than cheese is one of those chores that i really hate [i'm not a princess, honest, i chop my own butternut squash and everyfink! ]
Anyway, i'm REALLY relieved i got the food processor because I was making falafel and it turned out to be invaluable for getting the chickpeas ground up.
They are in the slow cooker as we speak!
Thank you for your tips, and i'm really sorry for wasting your time as i did have my gadget in the end

Jenai - no polenta it is definitley maize. Durum wheat is what they make pasta out of. I can't eat wheat as I am gluten intolerant and I eat polenta a lot as a substitute to flour - great in cakes.