How to Make Simple Homemade Croutons.
Do you ever have leftover too stale to eat, but not yet ready to toss bread in your kitchen? Then make some croutons! Here's how...
Croutons are one of those things that are SO simple to make and tastes SO much better than anything you can purchase, that they are pretty much always worth it. Simply slice up some bread - good quality, substantial loaves are best. Toss the cubes with some olive oil and spices, spread out on a cookie sheet and bake.
That's it. Homemade croutons are the best way to use up leftover bread and so good you might find yourself eating salad more often just so you can top it with a few croutons.
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Homemade Croutons
Description
How to make quick, easy, delicious homemade croutons.
Ingredients
- Day old bread such as French or Italian bread, or sourdough
- Olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Cut bread into whatever size cubes you like and place in a large bowl
- Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the cubes and toss with your hands. Continue adding olive oil, bit by bit, until all the bread crumbs are nicely coated with oil.
- Spread the croutons on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a very small amount of red pepper flakes or cayenne.
- Bake for 10-20 minutes; bake time depends on how large your croutons are and how crispy you like them. I like mine very crispy and so I let them bake until they are a deep golden brown. If you prefer croutons with a slightly soft center, bake them until they are a light golden brown. To test doneness, simply take one out of the oven and try it.
- Store croutons in a air tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Use this basic recipe to make as many, or as few, croutons as you like - just add the olive oil bit by bit as you toss the bread cubes with your hands until all of the bread cubes are coated with oil.
You can also sprinkle the the salt, pepper, cayenne or red pepper over the croutons while they are in the mixing bowl and then toss with your hands to distribute. I prefer to sprinkle the spices over the croutons after spreading them on the baking sheet because I feel that it gives me more control over even distribution.
Experiment with different flavors by sprinkling different dried herbs over the croutons along with the salt, pepper, and red pepper or cayenne. Thyme, oregano, basil, onion powder, turmeric, chili powder, rosemary... the options are endless.
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