Ok, I know…croutons are those little crisp squares you buy in bags at the grocery store. Mostly boring, right? What if I told you how to build a better crouton? A crouton that would elevate your salads or stews or soups to an entirely new level. Our house is famous for this crouton. The crouton jar is always the first stop for visiting teenagers, or used to be when there were teenagers in the house. I was forced to make these almost every day, there was not a stale baguette to be seen anywhere that wasn’t turned into croutons. These croutons have crispy peaks, and valleys, yummy extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt. That is all. They have a crisp exterior and a softer interior (not too much though). I once found my son eating the leftover crumbs left in the pan with his fingers. That batch never even made it to the crouton jar.
What is the secret? Tearing, that’s all there is to it. Who knew it could be so simple?
The best ever croutons
Don’t ever cut your croutons again. These are torn, not cut. No bread knife needed.
Take a look at the wonderful crispy crouton pictured above. Can you imagine how it would be in a caesar salad? The dressing would melt itself into all those little cracks and crevices, but the edges would stay crisp. That salad would be memorable. These croutons are not going to get soggy in soup, at least not right away, and are perfect for soaking up a sauce but staying crips on the edges.
You can make them with any kind of leftover stale bread (although any kind you slice yourself is best). Sourdough is very nice. What about rye or walnut bread for pumpkin soup or a salad with cranberries? Pumpernickel anyone for a salad with goat or blue cheese? Brioche bread makes wonderful croutons to use in your Thanksgiving stuffing. Tear the bread into small pieces or really big pieces, your choice. I once had a caesar salad at a restaurant in Seattle that had one very large crouton, torn not cut. Delicious, different, and inspiration.
Croutons
I don’t really have a recipe. Simply tear your bread, stale is good but not required, into pieces. Place on a large baking pan, coat with a generous slug of olive oil and use your hands to make sure the pieces are coated (but not swimming in oil), sprinkle with sea or kosher salt, and bake. I use 375 degrees F for 10 minutes, take the pan out and turn the pieces, then return them to the oven for another few minutes. How long will depend on the size and type of bread, but not usually more than another 5 minutes. They can burn easily at this point. You don’t want the croutons to be completely dried out, there should be some difference in texture within each crouton.
croutons – before
before baking
After baking
Once they cool, you can put them into an airtight jar and they will keep for a few days, if they last that long.
I think the folks at Fiesta Friday #195 might enjoy these as a snack or a garnish on any of the soups or salads. I’m linking this post to Angie’s blog site, the co-hosts this week are , Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Sandhya @ Indfused. Click on the link to Fiesta Friday to check out the fun.
I love these croutons! I have had, as you said so many that either just taste stale, boring and/or simply fatty! I love the idea of keeping them handy in a jar! Great tip! Have a lovely weekend 🙂
I never thought about tearing, versus cutting, my croutons. It depends on the bread as I have frequently used “sandwich bread” and always cut them. Wouldn’t work tearing them… However, using a ciabatta or any kind of good country bread would definitely be better torn – hard to cut! I have two family members that always want to snack on them (brushed with garlic oil and baked) then tossed with Parmesan while still hot. I will definitely have to try your recipe Liz 🙂
I guess our sandwich bread gets eaten too quickly to turn into croutons. They are delicious either way…winning combination of olive oil, crisp bread and salt. I like the idea of the parmesan.
Yum Liz – a great way to jazz up many dishes and I didn’t realise how simple they were to make. Great post – thanks for the inspiration!
Ok so I cut my croutons and can hardly wait for some old bread now so I can tear them! Other than that, I saute or do like you do in the oven – a generous amount of oil is the key. I get the same results – people go mad for them. They go to my crouton “baggie” and I’ve been guilty of grabbing a handful as a snack, too, while watching tv in the evening.
I’ve only bought the boxed kind once and thought they were truly horrible.
I couldn’t agree more, they have a chemical and stale oil flavor/odor. Horrible!
Liz, these croutons look so scrumptious that I cannot wait to get my hands on some good bread and tear it. Having a crouton jar is a great idea. Only downside is that I would snack on it all the time 😉
Thanks for bringing the croutons to FF!
Thank you and I know you will enjoy them.
I must admit I don’t really use croutons, I know boring old me (as I try to stay away from carbs, TRY being the operative word)…… But now that I’ve seen your post, I can’t wait to get that bread and tear away, great post!
I know, I usually avoid the carbs as well. But these are worth the splurge.
Thanks for the tip, Liz! It’s a great one!
Thank you Angie.
I don’t think that there is anything better in the whole world than homemade croutons! Yours look delish. Enjoy your week.
Thank you Katie!
So interesting that tearing the bread makes all the difference! I love the look too, kind-of rustic, and definitely homemade!
All the crooks and crannies absorb your dressing.
These croutons would not last long at ALL in my household – these look incredible! I’ve always loved croutons but have never made my own. I’ll have to give this a try sometime soon!
All you need is some stale bread, we never seem to finish an entire loaf of French or other artisan bread. When the house was full of teenagers the crouton canister was the first place they went after shedding their shoes at the front door.
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