Gather stale bread, fresh bread, or bread ends
Preheat the oven to 300°F to 350°F if drying in the oven
Remove crusts if you want finer crumbs
Cut the bread into small cubes or tear into pieces
Spread the bread pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet
Bake until dry and lightly crisp, stirring once or twice
Let the bread cool completely
Break the dried bread into crumbs by hand
Pulse the bread in a food processor until the desired texture is reached
For coarse crumbs, pulse briefly
For fine crumbs, pulse longer
Store the breadcrumbs in an airtight container
Keep them at room temperature for short-term use
Freeze them for longer storage