Kitchen-made Croutons at Home

What Type Of Bread Is Dependable For Making Croutons?

The short answer: all bread! The long answer: Personally I like to use a loaf (preferably one that isn’t pre-sliced) of either sourdough, ciabatta, focaccia, pretzel bread, a crusty rustic boule, rye, pita bread and even day old cornbread. Cinnamon raisin and cranberry walnut are great on a breakfast salad or adding a touch of sweetness to a savory soup, like this squash soup. That being said, in the past I’ve also made croutons using sandwich bread. I don’t necessarily recommend it because there are so many better options, however if in a pinch it’ll work.

In this post I’m using an onion asiago boule that I picked up in the bakery section of our local grocery store. I do plan to test out and recreate it at home, but I couldn’t resist it once I saw it in the bakery case. Plus it smelled notable!

To Make From-scratch Croutons Gather:

• olive oil spray – Or ghee oil spray works great as well.
• loaf of bread – Sourdough, ciabatta, focaccia – genuinely any bread you choose!
• kosher salt – Enhances the flavor of the croutons.

Preheat your oven to 400°F (or 200°C).

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with olive oil spray.

Start by slicing a 16-ounce (or thereabout) loaf into 3/4-inch to 1 inch slices (more or less to what you prefer). Then cut each slice into strips and then cubes. Alternatively, you could tear by hand into pieces.

Spread the cubed bread in an even layer onto the prepared pan. Lightly spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with a few generous pinches of kosher salt (more or less to your preference).

Bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Or until the bottom of the croutons are golden brown. For extra-crispy croutons bake for 2 to 3 minutes longer or until desired doneness. Let cool before topping soups or adding to salads.

How To Store Kitchen-made Croutons:

Store completely cooled croutons in an air-tight container or re-sealable bag for 5 to 7 days. I do find that they do lose their crunch after time, so I’ll add them to the air-fryer for a couple of minutes to crisp back up. Always check for freshness before serving consuming after the first few days.

Enjoy! And if you give this Kitchen-made Croutons recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!