Step 1

Preheat the oven to 250 °F (121 °C) and get out a rimmed baking sheet. Set 1 to 2 rimmed baking sheets on your work surface. It's important to use a rimmed sheet so the breadcrumbs won't slide off of the sheet when you put them in and take them out of the oven.

Step 2

Cut a crustless loaf of bread into 3 to 4 strips. If you don't have crustless bread, use a sharp serrated knife to trim off and discard the crusts. Place your crustless bread on a cutting board, cut it into slices, and cut each slice into 3 to 4 strips. You can cut them lengthwise or horizontally.While white panko is traditionally made with crustless bread, you can leave the crust on to create tan panko.

Step 3

Shred the bread in a food processor to make large flakes. Put the shredding disc on your food processor and turn the machine on. Slowly put the strips of crustless bread into the machine. This should make big flakes of breadcrumbs.If you don't have a food processor, grate the bread against the coarse side of a box grater or pulse it 1 to 2 times in a blender.

Step 4

Spread the breadcrumbs on the rimmed baking sheet. If it looks as though the breadcrumbs will be more than 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) thick on 1 sheet, divide them between 2 sheets.Keeping the breadcrumbs in an even layer will ensure that the panko becomes crispy as it bakes.

Step 5

Bake the panko breadcrumbs for 20 to 30 minutes. Put the rimmed baking sheet in the preheated oven and cook it until the panko becomes crispy. Use a spoon or spatula to stir the breadcrumbs every 5 minutes as they bake.Stirring the panko frequently will prevent it from browning. The panko should become crunchy, but remain pale in color.

Step 6

Cool the panko breadcrumbs. Remove the rimmed baking sheet from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let the panko cool completely before you use it or store it. If you store the panko before it's finished cooling, the moisture in the breadcrumbs will cause them to spoil faster.It will probably take at least 1 hour for the breadcrumbs to cool. They'll continue to dry as they cool.