Ingredients

　　Bread crumbs have two very appealing characteristics: They are simple to make, and they are an economical use of odds and ends of unsweetened breads. Keep fresh unused bread in a resealable plastic storage bag until you have a few handfuls’ worth. Bread crumbs can be either fresh or dried. For fresh, simply remove the crusts from the bread, place the bread in the bowl of a food processor, and process until fine. For dried bread crumbs, toast the bread in a 250°F oven until fully dried out, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the bread cool, and process until fine. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 1 week, or in the freezer, up to 6 months. Never use stale bread to make bread crumbs: They will taste that way—stale. Bread crumbs can also be made from darker breads. These somewhat earthier crumbs add interesting flavor to gratins and breaded meats.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.