One of my favorite things to order at a restaurant is a salad. They always have toppings and dressings that make you want to crush that bowl of veggies in front of you. During covid, I have been craving salads at home. Therefore I started making my own homemade croutons.
These homemade croutons do not disappoint. They are loaded with flavor but, the biggest difference in making them homemade is the freshness. That right-out-of-the-oven savoriness that you cannot beat.
I have tried these croutons on both salads and soups. If you are craving a bowl of warmness, try them on a soup. If you are craving a light meal of greens and veggies, try them on a salad. You can’t go wrong.
Tips and Tricks for making these Homemade Croutons:
- The exact time in the oven varies based on the size of the cube and moisture of the bread. If you use older bread that has dried out a bit, 10 minutes will be enough. If you use a fresh loaf, you will need more like 15 minutes. Watch closely at the end because they can get burnt easily.
- Use any type of bread. The higher the quality of the bread, the better the flavor, so an artisan bread is best. I used a buckwheat pave in these photos, but sourdough is another favorite.
- Swap out the basics. Try melted butter in place of olive oil for a richer flavor or fresh garlic in place of the powder for a pungent flavor.
Homemade Croutons
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: Condiment
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed bread (French, Italian, sourdough, etc.), cut into ¾ inch cubes
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Toss the bread cubes with olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt.
- Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Let cool completely and store in an air-tight container.
Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven.
