Homemade Croutons
A great way to extend the life of leftover bread and a far better American crouton than you'll get from a store-bought package.
In classical French cooking, a Crouton is a toasted slice of Baguette, about 2-1/2” - 3” in diameter, with a bit of drizzled butter or olive oil and perhaps a smidgen of garlic. It was served along side soup or a salad, or used as the base for hors d’oeuvres. I’m not sure how Americans translated that into a cube of toasted bread that was meant solely as a topper for salads, so to be clear, this is, in fact, an American Crouton recipe designed precisely for that.
My Number One Fan used to make homemade croutons by the bucketful years ago, and then stopped making them and then, we both forgot about them. Recently having two loaves of bread that we were not going to eat, one whole wheat and another Jewish rye, I announced that I'd reclaim them as croutons. She remembered the Pioneer Woman website recipe that she had used years ago. It's a fine recipe, but I found it - as well as nearly every other recipe I researched online - to be finite about the measurement of ingredients.
I just don't think that model works very well.
For one thing, I think Croutons - at least in my kitchen - are an opportunistic endeavor. In other words, you make Croutons when you happen to have leftover bread that you don't want to go to waste. So, the amount of bread is always going to be in flux. The main thing to get right is the list of ingredients and the ratios of the ingredients to the amount of bread you have. So, that's what I've done with this recipe.
It is a matter of personal preference as to exactly how you like your Croutons. If you're accustomed to packaged croutons, like Pepperidge Farms for example, you might like a very hard-toasted, dry crouton. Personally, I prefer a lightly toasted Crouton that has just a little resistance when you bite into one, but doesn't require the jaw strength of a reptile.
Moreover, I like a Crouton that is full of absorbed oil and flavor. I want to see a tiny bit of oil on my fingers when I pick them up; not dripping in oil, mind you, but just a touch. Absorbed fat in the crouton will add to its mouthfeel and flavor.
I won't measure Croutons in cups. It's not efficient and the volume will be impacted by the shape and size of the croutons when measured in a cylindrical enclosure. It's more efficient to measure volume of Croutons by the sheet pan, when the croutons are laid out in a single layer. And to be clear, I'm using what is called in the U.S. a half sheet pan, or 18" x 13".
The ingredient quantities, therefore, are calculated according to a ratio based on this sheet pan size of 18" x 13". In my case, two near-full loaves of bread yielded two sheet pans, so I used double the amounts of the ingredients listed below.
Finally, some people like to leave the crusts on their croutons. I don't. Crusts are going to bake at a different rate than the bread will, and so you will have uneven crispiness or maybe even burnt edges unless you're very cautious of the roasting time. I prefer the consistency of using just the bread and leave the crusts behind.
Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 loaf whole wheat, rye or whole grain bread
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (like, Kraft)
- 2 tbsp Italian Seasonings
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F with a rack placed in the top 1/3.
- Cut the crusts off of each slice of bread using a very sharp chef's knife. Cut the bread into cubes. You should have enough to fill a single layer of bread cubes in a 18" x 13" sheet pan. Take the time to ensure the bread cubes are end-to-end in a single layer so you will have even, uniform roasting.
- Using a wire whisk, mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, preferably one with a spout. Slowly and evenly pour the mixture over the bread cubes.
- Take a spatula, and turn the bread cubes over a couple of times to be sure they soak up all the oil and seasonings on all sides. Then again, carefully arrange the cubes into a single layer.
- Put the sheet pan in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Pull the sheet pan out of the oven enough to take a crouton or two and taste them. That will tell you if the croutons are ready or if they need to continue roasting.
- If more roasting is needed, go in 5 minute increments after that, depending on how close you think the croutons are to your liking.
- Thoroughly allow the croutons to cool for at least an hour before putting them in an airtight container and storing in your pantry for a few weeks.
Notes
- It's impossible to tell you exactly how long the croutons will take to roast. There are too many variables. First, just how crispy do you want them? Secondly, how fresh is the bread? The fresher the bread, the more moisture it will contain and therefore, the longer it will take to roast. Stale bread will roast much quicker. Thirdly, what kind of bread is it? Dense bread, like rye or pumpernickel will take longer than standard sandwich bread, and whole wheat bread will take longer than white bread.
