Panko--Homemade

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

My first experience with panko bread crumbs--Japanese style coarse bread crumbs--was on Pine Island, Florida. Brother Dave was planning his shrimp and panko dish and where did we buy the panko? At the fish market, of course.

Back in Northern Michigan, I searched for panko with few successes. Trips downstate to Trader Joe's helped me stock the pantry but then Trader Joe's stopped selling panko.

So now we make our own! It couldn't be easier. When old bread starts to get hard, we put slices of it on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 min. at 350 degrees or until the bread is just beginning to brown--this isn't toast, it is just crunchy bread.

Then using the grating blade for the food processor, the bread is pushed through the tube of the processor and through the blade. That's it! You have panko.  And cheap--this bread would have been tossed but no more; now all old bread becomes panko.

We like the plain, unseasoned panko so nothing is added to the crumbs. To store, put the panko crumbs in a large storage bag and keep in the freezer.