Homemade croutons are perfect for adding a crunchy texture to soups and salads. Making them fresh is much better than the long life ones you might buy from a supermarket and you can customise them with various herbs and spices to suit your dish.
Making homemade croutons is easy, and you can use your favourite bread - even gluten free. Salads are always improved with a crunchy texture, and I've found croutons to be a great motivator for my kids to eat salad.
All you need to make the best croutons is oil, optionally some herbs, and day old or stale crusty bread - preferably a sourdough. Keep in mind that the better the bread, the better the croutons!
Best ways to use homemade croutons
Use croutons to add texture to your favourite soups and salads! Here's some recipes you can try:
Soups
- Tomato soup
- Quick and easy pumpkin soup
- Broccoli and Stilton Soup
- Creamy Potato & Leek Soup Recipe "Potage Parmentier/Vichyssoise"
Salads
- Garden salad
- Chicken & Bacon Caesar salad with amazing dressing
- Mixed leaf salad with Manchego cheese, pomegranate and honey mustard dressing
- Panzanella salad
Ingredients for the best croutons
- Bread - for the best results, use day old crusty bread - preferably sourdough. You can make it with supermarket bread (see using supermarket bread). For reference, for the croutons in this recipe, I used a homemade rye (50%) sourdough loaf.
- Oil or butter - realistically, you can use any oil or fat you like to make croutons. I'd recommend extra-virgin olive oil. Alternatively, if you want to add richness to your dish you can use butter or clarified butter. Soups where you add cream benefit from using butter in the croutons, for example tomato soup.
- Herbs and spices - optional, but you can add your favourite herbs and spices to suit the dish that you're making. If you want to add garlic, I suggest using garlic powder to avoid burning fresh garlic while baking the croutons. Woody herbs such as rosemary, oregano and thyme work well. Dried herbs work very well, and an Italian herb blend is a good starting point if you're not sure what flavours to use.
Step-by-step guide to making croutons
Preheat oven to 190C (375F). Cut the bread into 1-2.5cm cubes depending on how large you'd like them.
Combine the cubed bread with the extra-virgin olive oil and any desired seasonings in a bowl. Mix well to ensure each piece is evenly coated.
Line a sheet tray or shallow dish with baking/parchment paper. Place the croutons on the paper, ensuring they all have a little space around them.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, shaking the tray every 5 minutes or so to ensure even toasting.
Tips
- Use day-old or stale bread as it best for croutons because it’s already a bit dry, allowing it to crisp up perfectly without becoming too dense or chewy.
- Toss evenly in oil - ensure every bread cube is evenly coated with oil (or melted butter) for a golden, crispy texture. Too little oil results in dry croutons, while too much can make them greasy.
- Season - mix croutons with herbs, spices, and salt, making sure to adjust the flavours to match the dish you're using them for. Garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, or even parmesan can elevate the flavor.
Using supermarket bread
Supermarket bread can be used in a pinch, but there are a few reasons why it's not ideal:
- Pre-sliced so you can't control the crouton size.
- Dough conditioners are typically added which can affect the texture and prevent the croutons from crisping up.
Croutons made with supermarket bread will still be better than purchased croutons, but they'll be even better when you use a crusty bread.
Make ahead and freezing croutons
Croutons can easily be made ahead - bake and season your croutons as usual, then allow them to cool completely to avoid moisture buildup. Once cooled, transfer the croutons to an airtight container or bag, removing as much air as possible.
If you want to freeze the croutons, you can do so for a month or so. When you're ready to use them, reheat the croutons in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 5-10 minutes to restore their crispness. Freezing croutons is a good way to prevent bread waste, as they store well.
Add your own touch
- Spice blends - blends such as za'atar, curry powder, or Italian herbs can help integrate the croutons with your dish.
- Infused Oils - an infused oil (garlic, rosemary, or chili oil) can add depth to the croutons.
- Cheese - try grating some fresh hard cheese cheese (parmesan, cheddar, pecorino, etc) over the croutons before baking.
Croutons
| Prep | Cook | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mins | 15 mins | 20 mins |
- 250g day old bread, cut into 1 - 2.5cm cubes (3/8" - 1") cut according to your use, ideally use a rustic sourdough, see note 1
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or butter, see note 2
- Salt & pepper, to taste see note 3
- *Herbs and spice ideas**
- Za'atar
- Curry powder
- Thyme, rosemary, or mixed herbs fresh or dry is fine
- Garlic powder
- Cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan or pecorino
- Preheat oven to 190C (375F). Cut the bread into 1-2.5cm cubes depending on how large you'd like them.
- Combine the cubed bread with the extra-virgin olive oil and any desired seasonings in a bowl. Mix well to ensure each piece is evenly coated.
- Line a sheet tray or shallow dish with baking/parchment paper. Place the croutons on the paper, ensuring they all have a little space around them.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, shaking the tray every 5 minutes or so to ensure even toasting.
- Bread - for the absolute best results the bread should be at least a day old, up to a few days old. Cut into cubes appropriate for your use; generally around 1 to 2.5cm (3/8" to 1") in size. Larger croutons will take slightly longer to cook.
- Oil - you can replace the oil with butter or clarified butter if you prefer. For dishes where you add cream or butter, cooking the croutons in butter can improve the dish - for example, a soup where you stir cream in.
- Seasoning - easiest way to season is to do so once the croutons are cooked, so you can taste as you season.
- Herb and spice ideas - I've given you some ideas for seasonings you can add to the croutons. Experiment with these or put your own twist on them.
- Servings - this recipe will serve 6-8 for a soup, or 4-6 for a salad.
