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How to Make Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs

Make homemade whole wheat panko breadcrumbs in just three easy steps. And one step is as easy as making toast! 

How to Make Whole Wheat Panko Bread Crumbs

I’ll admit it: I’m late to panko breadcrumb party.

Sure, topping casseroles with extra crunchy breadcrumbs seems like a worthy idea. But honestly, it was just one more step that slowed getting dinner to the table. So I skipped it.

Until this dish. This simple winter Turnip & Roasted Apple Bake righted my misconceptions.

How to Make Homemade Whole Wheat Panko Breakcrumbs

Without the homemade panko, that veggie casserole would’ve been just a mishmash of root veggies and apples in the same baking dish. But with the buttery crumbs, all the flavors and textures melded together: Earthy veggies + sweet apples and creamy sauce + complimenting crunchy crumbs.

Since becoming a breadcrumb believer, I’ve streamlined my process to make whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs. And now I add them to everything. They made this cheesy mashed potato casserole look extra fancy.

#HealthyKitchenHacks - How to Make Fluffy Mashed Potatoes | @tspcurry

Whole wheat panko breadcrumbs are perfect for sprinkling on finished slow cooker dishes – because they add contrasting crunch to Crockpot meals that usually have no textures at all.

The process is so simple:

1) Butter 2-3 pieces of whole wheat bread. I like to use the hearty whole wheat bread from a local bakery because the panko crumbs turn out EXTRA-crunchy. But I’ll use regular whole wheat sandwich bread in a pinch. Cocktail rye bread works well too.

How to Make Homemade Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs

Make sure to butter the bread before toasting. This allows the butter to soak into the bread – so more crumbs become buttery – THIS is what makes them extra-crunchy. And essentially this is what makes the breadcrumbs panko breadcrumbs.

2) Toast buttered bread until crisp, but not yet golden brown. (Then when you bake in the oven, the crumbs won’t burn.)

3) Once the toast is cool – whiz in a mini-food processor or chopper – like the chopper that comes with many immersion blenders. Pulse only a few times to keep the crumbs light and fluffy – like packaged panko.

How to Make Homemade Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs

So, what’s the difference between panko and regular breadcrumbs? The texture. Compared to regular breadcrumbs that are very fine and crumb-like, panko are extra crispy, are light and airy and are in larger course crumbs. Packaged panko crumbs are generally light and fluffy with a few larger crumbs; they’re made with white bleached flour, oil, and some benign preservatives. They have a lot of crunch, but basically zero taste.

So tasty and easy. You'll never go back to packaged: How to Make Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs | @TspCurry

Using real ingredients will make your whole wheat panko breadcrumbs taste amazing. They work well for topping baked dishes and combined with finely chopped nuts for extra crunch and nutrition the panko is great as a crispy coating for chicken and fish.How to Make Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs - make baked dishes and casseroles taste better via @TspCurry Click To Tweet

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How to Make Whole Wheat Panko Bread Crumbs

How to Make Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs


  • Author: Serena Ball
  • Yield: 1 1/3 cup panko crumbs 1x

Description

Easy way to make Whole Wheat Panko with this fun Healthy Kitchen Hack.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 slices whole wheat bread
  • 2 teaspoons butter

Instructions

  1. Spread each slice of bread with 1 teaspoon butter.
  2. Toast until crispy, but not beginning to brown. If done in a toaster oven, toast 4-5 minutes at 350-degrees.
  3. Cool toast and tear slices into a few pieces.
  4. Process a half of slice at a time until light and fluffy with a few crumbs about the size of a rice grain. Don’t over-process.

Have you been partying with breadcrumbs – or do you skip that step? Making any baked dishes for holiday get-togethers?

Zainab

Tuesday 8th of December 2015

I never knew the difference between breadcrumbs and Panko. This is a great tutorial and I'm going to try it the next time I need some Panko.

Serena Ball

Wednesday 9th of December 2015

Thanks Zainab! I'm pretty sure a super baker like you can make toast. (: I adore your recipes! Hope you get a chance to whip up something savory with these sprinkled on top.

Meal Makeover Mom Janice

Monday 7th of December 2015

Love this! So simple and yet I have not done this... shame on me! I often get a whole wheat loaf bread at my CSA and will make a plan to use some for these panko bread crumbs every time. Do you know how long they will keep? Probably should use pretty quickly?

Serena Ball

Monday 7th of December 2015

Actually I keep a plastic zip-top bag of the panko crumbs in my fridge - to top baked egg frittatas or veggies. I've kept for up 3 weeks just fine - in the fridge.

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