Fresh bread crumbs are superior to packaged ones in many ways. First of all, you can start with good bread. Second, you can keep them coarse, and coarse bread crumbs are almost always preferable to fine. Finally, you can season and toast them as you like.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 2 cups

　　About 1/2 loaf French or Italian bread, preferably a day or 2 old

　　

Step 1

Tear the bread into pieces, then grind in a food processor until coarsely chopped; you may have to do this in batches. Use immediately or store in a plastic bag.

　　

Step 2

To toast, put the bread crumbs on a baking sheet and place in a 350°F oven, shaking the pan occasionally, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes; these may be stored as fresh (though it makes more sense to store untoasted bread crumbs and toast just before using). Or heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and add the bread crumbs; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and drain on paper towels; use immediately.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.