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This Homemade Croutons Recipe is beyond simple. Just slice up that stale bread, toss with oil and salt then bake to golden crisp perfection. Add Italian seasoning for an extra pop of flavor! These are great on salad, soup or alone.
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Seasoned Homemade Croutons With Olive Oil
My daughter begs me to make homemade croutons. We love to just eat them alone as a snack, the perfect crunchy salty snack.
The best part is how simple these croutons are to make and it’s a great way to use up old bread that would otherwise be thrown away.
We use olive oil and dried Italian seasoning. But feel free to use your preferred oil and seasoning. Croutons spiced with adobo seasoning are my personal favorite.
How Long Do You Bake Homemade Croutons
At 350ºF, bake the croutons for 20-22 minutes. This will vary depending on size and thickness. Start keeping a close eye on them at the 18 minute mark. Once croutons turn golden brown, remove from oven and let cool on the pan.
What Can You Do With Croutons
The obvious use is for salads but croutons also make wonderful soup toppers. There is nothing better than a fresh summer tomato salad served with homemade crunchy croutons!
Like I said before, we enjoy these croutons on their own as a snack.
Here are a few recipes that would be great with these croutons:
Shrimp and Spinach Cream Sauce – – Avocado Tomato Salad – Easy Tomato Soup
Ingredients Needed For Baked Italian Croutons(screenshot for grocery list)
- Stale Bread Loaf (I use garlic parmesan bread)
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Dried Italian Seasoning
How To Make Homemade Croutons
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Cut stale bread loaf into approximately 1 inch cubes. Transfer bread cubes to large bowl.
Drizzle olive oil over bread. Sprinkle with salt and seasoning.
Using your hands, gently toss bread cubes until evenly coated.
Transfer bread cubes to a greased, rimmed baking sheet. Spread into an even layer.
Bake croutons for 20-22 minutes. This will vary depending on size and thickness. Start keeping a close eye on them at the 18 minute mark. Once croutons turn golden brown, remove from oven and let cool on the pan.
Once completely cooled, store croutons in a gallon zip bag. Do not seal the bag completely. Leave the edge open to allow any moisture to escape.
How To Store Homemade Croutons
To prevent the croutons from losing their crispness, I store them in a gallon zip bag but I do not seal it completely. Leave the edge open to allow any moisture to escape.
How Long Will Croutons Keep
Ours usually get eaten within two days as we love to snack on them. But, these croutons should easily keep for one week as long as they do not get wet or exposed to moisture.
Homemade Croutons Recipe
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
This Homemade Croutons Recipe is beyond simple. Just slice up that stale bread, toss with oil and salt then bake to golden crisp perfection. Add Italian seasoning for an extra pop of flavor! These are great on salad, soup or alone.
Ingredients
- Stale Bread Loaf (1 small loaf or half of a large loaf)
- 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Salt
- Dried Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Cut stale bread loaf into approximately 1 inch cubes (3-4 cups). Transfer bread cubes to large bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil over bread. Sprinkle with salt and seasoning.
- Using your hands, gently toss bread cubes until evenly coated.
- Transfer bread cubes to a greased, rimmed baking sheet. Spread into an even layer.
- Bake croutons for 20-22 minutes. This will vary depending on size and thickness. Start keeping a close eye on them at the 18 minute mark. Once croutons turn golden brown, remove from oven and let cool on the pan.
- Completely cool then store croutons in a gallon zip bag. Do not seal the bag completely. Leave the edge open to allow any moisture to escape.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 396Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 0mgSodium 713mgCarbohydrates 63gFiber 4gSugar 7gProtein 11g
Nutritional information on WonkyWonderful is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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FAQs
They should not be chewy when they come out of the oven. Bake croutons in a single layer on the baking sheet to crisp up the bread, rather than steaming it. Why are my homemade croutons soggy? It could be that you stored your croutons before they were fully cooled.
Why are my homemade croutons soggy? ›
They should not be chewy when they come out of the oven. Bake croutons in a single layer on the baking sheet to crisp up the bread, rather than steaming it. Why are my homemade croutons soggy? It could be that you stored your croutons before they were fully cooled.
How do you keep homemade croutons crunchy? ›
Simply make your croutons, place them into a freezer-friendly bag or container, and store them in the freezer. Take them out to thaw and then you're ready to enjoy!
Why are my croutons not crispy? ›
Crowding the pan.
Pile the bread cubes on top of each other and they won't have enough space to crisp up and brown. Instead, make sure they're in a even layer.
How to stop croutons from going soggy? ›
If you're baking your croutons, make sure they are well-spaced-out on a shallow tray to ensure they crisp evenly and they don't steam, causing them to become soggy. They also need to be in a single layer and not touching.
How do you fix soggy croutons? ›
If you have leftovers, you can simply re-crisp them by running them back in the oven for about 5 minutes on 350 degrees.
Why are my homemade croutons so hard? ›
Croutons that are perfectly crisp right out of the oven will be too hard to eat when they cool. For the perfect crouton, pull them from the oven when they are still have a bit of give to them – as they cool, they will crisp up perfectly. Stale bread will crisp faster in the oven and will need less time to bake.
Do you have to refrigerate homemade croutons? ›
Store cooled croutons in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. You can also freeze croutons in a freezer bag or container for up to 6 weeks.
How do you know if croutons are stale? ›
The most common way to tell if croutons have gone bad is by smell and taste. If they have an off smell, it's best to throw them out. Similarly, if they taste stale or have lost their crunch, it's time to discard them.
Is it cheaper to make or buy croutons? ›
Homemade croutons are less expensive than storebought; they're also ten times tastier. They enhance every salad on which they are sprinkled, and can also be used as a garnish for soups, or crushed with a rolling pin and sprinkled on pasta or used as a filling for an omelet.
How long do croutons last? The expected shelf-life for homemade croutons is about two weeks. Moisture encourages mold, so make sure your croutons are completely dehydrated during the bake and let cool completely at room temperature before storing them away in an airtight container.
What temperature do you dehydrate croutons? ›
Directions
- 1Cut the bread into small cubes.
- 2Place in the dehydrator and dry for 4-6 hours at 155 degrees F until crisp.
- 3Optional: Add garlic salt, onion salt, parmesan cheese, or herbs for an exciting flavor.
This technique works for store-bought sliced bread as well. In fact, Drew Gimma, the director of operations for Bread Man Baking Co. in Houston, Texas, recommends slicing pretty much any bread before you freeze it "so you can thaw just as much as you need and not the whole loaf," he says.
Why can't you freeze bread twice? ›
You can safely refreeze breads, cookies and similar bakery items. However, the end product is likely to be a drier, lower quality product.
Is it better to freeze bread whole or in slices? ›
Maranda has some advice to help: “If you're freezing sliced bread — which is a great way to keep the loaf fresh without thawing out more than necessary — I recommend dividing slices into groups of two or four (or however many you may use at one time), so you don't have to thaw the entire loaf.” You could keep the ...
How do you make soggy bread crispy? ›
Put the bread in a cold oven, then turn the heat to 300° F. Let the loaf slowly heat up for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the density and dryness of the bread. Start checking the bread after 10 minutes.
How to soften croutons for salad? ›
Lightly run your bread underwater. and then microwave it for 30 seconds. This steams the bread, making it soft to touch.
Do croutons get soggy? ›
Much like any other dried foods placed in liquid, given enough time, the croutons will reconstitute -- softening and then becoming soggy. While this process happens quickly once wet ingredients are introduced to a salad, it can also happen slowly outside of the salad if your croutons aren't stored properly.
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