Crouton recipe with step by step photo. Easy homemade crouton recipe with everyday bread and loads of dried herbs.
I love to have soups in restaurants just for the sake crispy crunchy croutons. Most of the time we order soup as 1/2, so the croutons will also be rationed :). One fine day I mad easy homemade crouton with a day old bread and no looking back since then. Last week I prepared a good batch of crouton recipe with loads of mixed herb and served with flavorful tomato-carrot soup. Needless to say the croutons disappeared in a whim 🙂
To make crouton recipe, I have used normal Indian bread as that is what I get, you can even use any thick loaf if you have. This is a very basic crouton recipe. I have just tossed the bread cubes in herbs mixed olive oil and baked until crispy. There are so many many variations one could do with in crouton recipe.
1. You can bake it or toast it deep fry it as per your preference.
2. Toss the bread in butter if you wish, but I always like the flavor of olive oil in this.
3. Instead or along with dried herbs you can add chili flakes, crushed garlic, pepper powder for variations in flavor. You can even add cheese to make cheese croutons.
Only thing to remember while making crouton is to use a cookie sheet or baking tray that is large enough to hold the bread cubes in single layer and turn the bread cubes once or twice in the middle to ensure uniform baking. You can bake the crouton as brief or long as you want. If you want very crispy crouton bake for about 12 minutes else 8-10 minute will do. You can prepare this homemade crouton and store for about a week too.
The days are getting shorter and gloomy, so I prepare loads of soup and some nice soup accompaniment are always welcome. I make croutons or cheese balls, herb toast, chili toast, corn toast, cheese straws etc to serve with soup. Click on the names to get full recipe.
Here is easy homemade crouton recipe, do try this out with the excess bread lying around. If you do not have oven as I said before toast the bread cubes on a dosa tava at low-medium flame or you can even deep fry it.
Crouton recipe with step by step photos.
1. Preheat oven at 180C. Take a cookie sheet or baking tray and line with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. Take the bread slices and cut into bite size cubes (I have not trimmed the edges).
3. In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients (olive oil, salt, herbs and chili flakes).
4. Add the bread cubes to the oil mixture and toss very well.
5. Arrange in the cookie sheet as single layer without overlapping. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes. Turn over the bread slices after 5 minutes to ensure uniform baking.
6. Once ready serve crouton with soup or store in airtight container.
Crouton recipe card below:
Crouton recipe | Homemade crouton recipe
Harini
crouton recipe, easy recipe for making homemade crouton!
Preheat oven at 180C. Take a cookie sheet or baking tray and line with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Take the bread slices and cut into bite size cubes (I have not trimmed the edges).
In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients (olive oil, salt, herbs and chili flakes).
Add the bread cubes to the oil mixture and toss very well.
Arrange in the cookie sheet as single layer without overlapping. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes. Turn over the bread slices after 5 minutes to ensure uniform baking.
Once ready serve crouton with soup or store in airtight container.
Notes
1. You can add crushed garlic to the herbs mixture. 2. You can add chaat masala for different flavor instead of herbs
Nutrition
Calories: 389kcal
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The key to crispy croutons is making sure that they're fully dried out in the oven and crunchy all the way through. 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.
Croutons are made from toasted or fried bread, including white, wholemeal, sourdough and granary. Use them for a crunchy texture in salads, soups and more. Any kind of piece of bread that has been toasted or fried to crunchy crispness counts as a crouton.
You can also grill or fry them, but they might be slightly softer in the middle – lovely on a tomato salad, but won't keep as long as drier baked croutons. 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.
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.
For a few short minutes before the crust forms, steam inside the oven also helps contribute to a nicely textured crust. To create steam, fill a spray bottle with water and spray the loaves 2 to 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking or until a crust has formed.
These regular sized croutons are prepared using Olive Garden's own recipe and are the same ones you will find in its restaurants. Olive Garden croutons are made with Romano cheese, seasoned with garlic, Italian herbs & spices, and baked to a delicious golden brown.
I found this brand Carrington Farms and they offer organic crounons in a cracked pepper and sea salt, garden herb and garlic and parmesan (yes it is all vegan). And the ingredients are super simple, which makes this product even more enjoyable.
Croutons provide calories (energy) primarily in the form of carbohydrates. Carbs are your body's preferred energy source. When you eat croutons, you are providing your body with fuel for your daily activities.
Spread the bread cubes onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure the bread cubes are in an even layer and not touching. If they are too close and overlapping, they won't cook evenly and won't crisp up. Bake for 12 to 20 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until the croutons are golden brown.
Homemade croutons will last up to 1 week in the pantry. Cool a batch of homemade croutons before you store them. If you toss warm croutons into a storage bag, the bag traps moisture and you'll be left with soggy croutons! To avoid a mushy mess, spread the croutons in a single layer and cool them completely.
Tearing bread by hand before coating them in fat and seasoning (think olive oil, flavorful garlic, aromatic herbs, and plenty of salt) and baking it yields croutons with uneven edges that get extra crispy in the oven, creating even more of the crispy, crunchy textures that are the key to making better salads at home.
Once they are cool, you need to store them in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place, away from light, to help prevent the oil in them from going rancid.
Croutons: Yes, you can freeze them! Cube stale bread and toast it for a few minutes. Then, place the croutons into a resealable freezer bag and stow in the freezer. You can also freeze the uncooked bread cubes and toast them at a later time.
Obviously, there's no law saying croutons can't be eaten like a snack, but certain things can give you the sense it's discouraged. One of those things: the suggested serving size on the back of the package, which is typically two tablespoons.
If you are rubbing your dough with flour before baking to accentuate your scored designs, this too can dehydrate your crust, causing it to be tougher and more chewy. Try just spraying with water before baking or minimising the amount of flour you're using on the surface of your bread.
On wheat breads you can usually say that the more (developed) gluten you have, the more chewy it will get. More gluten (stronger flour), higher hydration and better development of the gluten (autolyse, s&f,...) might help. If you add pure gluten to the flour it can very easily get too chewy.
Over-kneading has a tendency to result in chewy bread. Here's how to tell if you've kneaded enough. Another possibility—you used bread flour when all-purpose flour would do. If a recipe with bread flour turned out chewier than you like, try it with all-purpose and knead only as much as the recipe directs.
To do so, simply preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Spread the croutons out on a baking sheet and heat until they are warmed through (about 10 minutes).
Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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