These Lovely Tasty Homemade Croutons are the rockstars of the salad or soup world. Their satisfying crunch elevates salads to new heights, leaving lettuce in the dust.
The Life of Croutons
Can you picture this: bite-sized cubes of yesterday’s bread, living their second life as flavor-packed, golden nuggets. It’s recycling with a delicious twist.
They’re born in the oven, a toasty chamber of transformation where olive oil perform the sacred dance of flavor infusion. Seasoned with your own favorite spices: garlic powder, dried herbs, and a pinch of salt’n pepper, they will be ready to deliver a punch of taste to your taste buds.
Spread on a oven form/baking sheet, they go into the oven, where they tan to perfection, turning into crispy, savory delights. It’s like a spa day for bread – they emerge golden and confident, ready to party on your salad or in your soup.
After the oven magic, they cool off, getting even crunchier. Good things come to those who wait for the symphony of crispy, flavorful bites.
Avoid sogginess and how to store
Make sure to store these addictive ingredients in an airtight container. However, I must warn you, that the container may just be for show, as these ingredients are not just an ordinary addition to any dish.
Avoid sogginess? It’s simple. Make sure you leave the croutons to go cold before you store them, otherwise they can steam in the container and become soggy.
Versatile and customizable
In a world of plain croutons, these homemade wonders add the flair your dishes have been craving.
Here are some key points about bread croutons:
- Versatility: Bread croutons can be made from a variety of bread types, including white bread, wholemeal bread, sourdough, baguettes, ciabatta, and even gluten-free bread.
- Preparation: To make bread croutons, the bread is typically cut into cubes or squares, seasoned, and then toasted until crispy and golden.
- Customization: Homemade croutons can be customized with various seasonings, such as salt, herbs, and even dried chili flakes, to add flavor and variety to salads and soups. You are the creator!
- Benefits: Making homemade croutons allows for greater flavor and a lighter, crisper texture compared to store-bought varieties.
Feel free to experiment with different types of bread and seasonings to create croutons that complement the flavors of your favorite dishes. Homemade croutons add a wonderful crunch and flavor boost to salads, soups, and even as a snack on their own.
“Croutons: Small bites, big impact.”
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Lovely Tasty Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 Day-old bread French bread or a rustic loaf works well
- 1 dl Olive oil to drizzle
- 2 tsp Garlic powder optional
- 1 tbsp Dried herbs like oregano, thyme, basil I used store-bought Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Prepare the Bread: Cut the day-old bread into bite-sized cubes. You have the option of removing the crusts for a softer texture, but leaving them on adds a rustic touch.
- Seasoning: In a large bowl, drizzle the bread cubes with olive oil. Toss them to ensure even coating. Add garlic powder, dried herbs, salt, and pepper for flavor. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Toss them again.
- Spread the seasoned bread cubes evenly on a baking sheet. Make sure they're in a single layer, allowing them to crisp up uniformly.Bake: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the croutons are golden brown and crispy. Toss them halfway through the baking time for even toasting.
- Cool: After baking, let the croutons cool on the sheet. This will help them become crispier as they cool down.Cuisine: Bread's second life, crunch's first class.
