Looking For The Best Homemade Croutons?
Homemade croutons are ready with just a quick toss in olive oil and spices, and are often tastiest when made with rustic bread that is a day or two past its prime. If you’ve recently baked a loaf of our Sourdough Bread and find yourself with more than you can toast, we recommend whipping up a batch of homemade croutons to add to Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese and Simple Italian Salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need For Easy Homemade Croutons
Rustic bread – We’ve made homemade croutons with every kind of bread (including slices of white sandwich bread), and while we’ll never turn down a crunchy, salty piece of toasted bread, these are best when made with rustic bread. It toasts well, and the herbs really grab on to the craggy bread.
Olive oil – This recipe is olive oil forward, and that’s why we recommend using a bright and fruity extra virgin olive oil. Read all about shopping for olive oil in our Pantry Essentials: The TMP Guide To Cooking Oils.
Italian seasoning – Typically a blend of everything nice (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sage) and perfect for dusting croutons.
Garlic powder – Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic, and we prefer it to using fresh garlic because it gives the croutons a more subtle essence of garlic than the fresh form.
Sea salt – Sea salt generally has a finer texture than kosher salt, and less homogeneous shape, making it ideal for adding to our rustic croutons.
How to Make Our Recipe For Homemade Croutons
Cut or tear bread into small pieces, about ¾-inch in size. A good serrated bread knife will make this job easier.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Season the croutons. Toss the bread pieces with the olive oil in a large bowl until evenly distributed. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt, and toss to combine.
Bake the croutons. Spread the bread pieces out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, tossing halfway through, until golden, 12-14 minutes. Let cool completely.
How to Store Homemade Croutons + Tips
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Sometimes we have a heel of bread here and there that we can’t get to before it goes stale. In this case we like to cube the bread and store it in the freezer until we’re ready to make a batch of homemade croutons.
This recipe makes about 4 cups of croutons, it might sound like a lot, until you’ve eaten about one cup of croutons from the baking sheet when they come out of the oven. Rule of thumb, always make more croutons than you think you’ll need. You won’t be sorry.
More Great Homemade Essentials From The Modern Proper
Crunch A Bunch
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