Fresh bread crumbs versus Panko

When a recipe calls for fresh bread crumbs, do you always use fresh, use Panko or the dried stuff that comes in a tube can? We keep all our bread frozen since there is only two of us here, so when I am cooking and I need bread crumbs, I grab my Japanese Panko. They seem to work well and taste fine. Most of our bread is multi-grain or seeded and probably not apprpriate for many recipes.
What works at your house?

I'm a big fan of Panko and generally prefer it for most things. If I'm trying a recipe that specifically calls for fresh bread crumbs from crustless French bread then I'll trim and give it a spin in the processor. I also consider the final desired consistency... coarse and crunchy or finer and breaded. Also will use a local brand of Italian-seasoned tubular store-bought if seasoned Italian bread crumbs are called for.

A lot depends on what is under the crumbs and if it's a quickie or a special meal with the best ingredients that merits the good stuff.

Some things need fresh crumbs and other things need Panko. Won't us anything else these days.

I use either of the above, depending on circumstances.

The crumbs that come in a cardboard tube are an abomination. You might as well use matzo meal, which I also have on hand.

It depends on the recipe. I will use Panko if I'm looking for a crunchy texture. I will make my own breadcrumbs if it's used in the recipe (like meatloaf or crab cakes), and make toasted breadcrumbs if a topping for like mac and cheese.

I am using Panko more and more . After PMing Chef Carey, I put together some baked Goat cheese discs using Panko with some eggwash and it turned out great!

[Jenise]

I use either of the above, depending on circumstances.

The crumbs that come in a cardboard tube are an abomination. You might as well use matzo meal, which I also have on hand.

What Bernard said.

Sometimes you really need the softness of fresh crumb, otherwise panko it will be. If seasoning is needed, I'll add seasoning myself.

Some things need fresh crumbs and other things need Panko. Won't us anything else these days.

Ditto for us, depends on the dish.

Fresh? Panko? Dried in a tube?
No more dried in a tube. I can get bread crumbs from the bakery at Cosentino's Market that are better than tube, and almost as good as either fresh crumbs or panko, if they're fresh. Sort of in between them.
Occasionally, if I'm feeling feisty, I'll finely dice some sourdough for a bread"crumb" topping. Sometimes I'll crumble the heel of a loaf of fresh bread. Mostly, I just use the stuff in the bag from Cosentino's.

BTW, it's easy to make crumbs out of frozen bread.

John

I always have homemade bread crumbs in my freezer to use in my cooking. I only use Panko if the recipe specifically calls for them (and then I don't always use them). It just depends on the recipe.

Check out my article on making homemade bread crumbs http://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/BreadCrumbs.htm.

I always have homemade bread crumbs in my freezer to use in my cooking. I only use Panko if the recipe specifically calls for them (and then I don't always use them). It just depends on the recipe.

Check out my article on making homemade bread crumbs http://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/BreadCrumbs.htm.

That's all well and good if the bread crumbs are intended for a dish that's not to be cooked. When you recommend using the "ends" of loaves in a dish that is exposed to heat you are advocating re-browning of a product that a baker already browned - ostensibly to perfection. Not a good thing in my view.

And a variation on the theme...

Croutons have to be freshly made. No day olds. No store bought.

Depends entirely on the recipe: Panko is a 'splurge' ingredient for us, and we have only bought it when specifically called for AND obviously fundamental to the recipe. On that note, recently had some wondeful oven-fried chicken (think it might have been a Good Housekeeping recipe, actually), which called for marinating the chicken overnight in butter milk (lightly seasoned with red pepper), then coating in Panko, then put in the oven at fairly high heat. The closest any oven fried chicken we've tried has come to the crispiness of deep fried / pan fried, and a whole lot healthier.

I will have to try the chicken with panko. I always marinate the chicken I am going to oven fry in buttermilk and some splashes of Tabasco. Picked it up from a Martha Stewart recipe. The buttermilk reacts chemically somehow with the chicken and I've forgotten how exactly, but I like the results. We also like a product called Oven Fry for Crispy chicken. It is basically a seasoned bread crumb mixture, has a nice flavor and gets really crisp.

I will have to try the chicken with panko. I always marinate the chicken I am going to oven fry in buttermilk and some splashes of Tabasco. Picked it up from a Martha Stewart recipe. The buttermilk reacts chemically somehow with the chicken and I've forgotten how exactly, but I like the results. We also like a product called Oven Fry for Crispy chicken. It is basically a seasoned bread crumb mixture, has a nice flavor and gets really crisp.

Here's the recipe: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipef ... hicken-ghk

For us oven fried chicken has two big advantages: obviously it's more heathy, but its also less messy, and easier to manage while cooking - pop in oven, walk away, rather than be held hostage while you do pan after pan.

Correct me, please, if I'm wrong but panko is nothing more than dried, crustless bread crumbs sometimes au naturel, sometimes spiced or seasoned with dried herbs. Why precisely do we connect these with Japanese and/or French cuisine when they have been part of Italian cuisine wince the 16th century and American cookery at least since the 17th century? Or, in another phrase, "so, what's new?"

Sheesh, I've been making my own dried, seasoned breadcrumbs since I was 15. And believe me, that was a long time ago!


Best
Rogov

Correct me, please, if I'm wrong but panko is nothing more than dried, crustless bread crumbs sometimes au naturel, sometimes spiced or seasoned with dried herbs. Why precisely do we connect these with Japanese and/or French cuisine when they have been part of Italian cuisine wince the 16th century and American cookery at least since the 17th century? Or, in another phrase, "so, what's new?"

Sheesh, I've been making my own dried, seasoned breadcrumbs since I was 15. And believe me, that was a long time ago!


Best
Rogov

Because I rarely by anything that comes in a box or a can, I have been wondering what this Panko thing is: thanks Daniel.

Panko is not the same thing. The texture and shape is totally different than anything I have experienced or found from Italy or France, or made for myself, for that matter; it is more flake-like and much lighter. Never seen Panko spiced. From my understanding, there's an unusual process in making them, but whether or not that's so, you'd never mistake European or home-made breadcrumbs for Panko. Totally different animals.

Correct me, please, if I'm wrong but panko is nothing more than dried, crustless bread crumbs sometimes au naturel, sometimes spiced or seasoned with dried herbs.

Agreed, though I believe there is some stretching done at shredding-time so that the crumbs tend to be long and spiky.

I have also heard, but cannot confirm, that some manufacturers generate bread flakes by putting dough into a centrifuge-like spinner, doing a quick electric bake, and then scraping the product off.