crumbly

Crumbly is an adjective describing a texture that readily breaks into small, loose crumbs rather than forming a solid mass. It is commonly used to describe edible products but can also apply to soils, minerals, and other friable materials.

In cooking and baking, crumbly textures arise from how fat, moisture, sugar, and starch interact with gluten. Cold fat cut into dry ingredients creates small fat pockets that melt during baking, yielding a tender, crumbly crumb. Low moisture, higher fat or sugar content, and limited gluten development favor crumbliness; mixing methods and resting times also influence the final texture. Shortcrust pastry, shortbread cookies, and crumble toppings are typical examples of purposely crumbly textures, while overworking dough or adding too much water tends to produce a tougher, less crumbly result.

Outside of food, crumbly describes soils and rocks that are friable and crumble under light pressure. In geology and agriculture, crumbly or friable soils have a granular structure with good porosity, aiding root growth and water infiltration. In material science, a crumbly material lacks cohesion and can fail under stress. The term is also used in culinary writing to convey a rustic or homemade character, contrasting with firmer or more cohesive textures.