Powders may be the stuff of four-star kitchens, but making them is simple. And the payoff? An arsenal of bold, easy-to-deploy boosters. “All of a sudden you have ready access to these flavors,” says Cortney Burns, co-chef with Nick Balla at San Francisco’s Bar Tartine, “and it becomes a jumping-off point.” Use this smoky bread powder as your new crouton: Put it on salads, roasted veggies, and oil-and-garlic pasta. Don’t have a spice mill? You can use a blender or food processor for this one.
Ingredients
2
dried chiles de árbol or ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
4
ounces stale crusty country-style bread, torn
Preparation
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°. Heat a dry medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Toast chiles and bread, stirring occasionally, until bread is charred in spots, 6–8 minutes.
Step 2
Transfer pan to oven and bake until bread is dry and crisp, 1–1½ hours.
Step 3
Working in batches, grind chiles and bread in a spice mill to a fine powder.
Step 4
DO AHEAD: Powder can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.