Homemade breadcrumbs with the Thermomix

I was about to make breaded sea bream today and realized I'd run out of breadcrumbs: all I had at home was fresh bread. Instead of going out to buy some, I used up a few rolls and made my own in half an hour, without wasting anything.

The trick is drying the bread in the air fryer, then finishing the grinding and toasting in the Thermomix: it comes out fine and dry, and you don't even need stale bread, it works with same-day bread too.

From now on I never waste leftover bread and never buy ready-made breadcrumbs again.

Why two steps instead of just the Thermomix

You might think you could just toss the bread straight into the bowl and blend. The problem is moisture: fresh bread holds a lot of water, and grinding it as is gives you something closer to a ball of mush than the dry powder you're after.

Hence the two steps:

1. The air fryer (or the oven) dries the bread, evaporating the water.
2. The Thermomix grinds it, then finishes drying it at 100°C with the measuring cup removed, so residual steam escapes instead of condensing back into the bowl.

It's that last step, the long, low-speed one, that makes the difference between breadcrumbs that keep for weeks and ones that go moldy in three days.

Always remove the measuring cup

With the measuring cup in place, the moisture coming off the bread stays trapped in the bowl and falls back onto the breadcrumbs. Remove it, and if you're worried about splashing, rest the basket on top: it acts as a splash guard while still letting the steam escape.

Which bread to use

Almost anything, and that's the beauty of this recipe:

• Rolls and white bread: the classic, gives pale, neutral breadcrumbs.
• Whole wheat or multigrain bread: more flavorful and rustic, great for browning vegetables.
• Baguette and hard-crust bread: the crust adds extra crunch.
• Sandwich bread: crust removed first, comes out extra fine.

Just avoid heavily flavored breads (olive, sun-dried tomato) if you want neutral breadcrumbs.

How to tell it's ready

It needs to be completely dry to the touch, with no hint of moisture when you press it between your fingers. If it's still even slightly soft, put it back in for a few more minutes at 100°C: it's the only way to be sure it will keep.

How to store it

In a tightly sealed glass jar, away from moisture, it keeps easily for weeks. The worst spot is near the stove or the sink: steam is its enemy.

If you make a big batch, you can also freeze it: it's used straight from frozen, no need to thaw.

How I use it

It comes in handy for almost everything: for coating fish and meat (the chicken nuggets turn out great with this instead of cornflakes), for browning vegetables in the oven, for binding meatballs and meatloaf, and for the classic pasta with fried breadcrumbs from southern Italy.

With a pinch of salt, garlic powder and dried parsley it turns into a ready-made seasoned coating.