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Easy Sourdough Garlic Croutons

November 21, 2008 by Nicole 8 Comments

This is almost too simple to be called a recipe.  But since I know that many people don’t think to make their own croutons at home, I thought I’d give you this little reminder.  Homemade croutons are simple to make, they are a great way to use up stale bread, and they taste better than anything you can buy at the store.

Consider the amounts and instructions below to just be a basic guideline.  You can stick to the basics, like I did this last time, or you can add whatever herbs and seasonings you like to make your own homemade croutons recipe.  Have fun!

Sourdough Garlic Croutons

8 cups sourdough bread cubes (about 3/4 inch)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic powder and salt.  Put bread cubes in a large bowl.

2. Drizzle a tablespoon of oil around the outside of the bowl, toss well with a wooden spoon.  Continue adding oil, a tablespoon at a time, and tossing in between.  When you’ve added all the oil, continue stirring and tossing bread cubes for a few minutes longer.  Eventually the bread will be uniformly coated with the oil (for the most part). Taste a few of the bread cubes and add extra salt and/or other seasonings if you wish.

3. Spread the bread cubes out in a single layer on a parchment-lined half sheet pan.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven, checking and stirring the croutons every five minutes, until golden brown and crisp (probably 10-15 minutes total).  Allow croutons to cool on the pan and then transfer to an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

Recipe notes: You don’t have to make a full 8 cups of croutons.  These are the amounts of oil and seasonings I used for 8 cups, but feel free to divide the recipe in half or even a quarter if you only have a small amount of bread to use up.  Also, you can use whatever bread you like and whatever seasonings you like.  Have fun and experiment!

In the summer I love to eat homemade croutons on green salads, but in the fall and winter, I find myself eating them more often on soups!  I really enjoyed them on some Split Pea Soup the other day!

Filed Under: Herbs and Spices, NaBloPoMo, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: bread, croutons, easy, NaBloPoMo, quick, recipe, sourdough

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Comments

  1. PaniniKathy says

    November 21, 2008 at 11:16 pm

    I appreciate the guidance on crouton-making! We can never finish a loaf of bread and I'm not a huge fan of freezing it - but I'd love some of these fresh croutons in a hot bowl of soup!
    Reply
  2. Susan C says

    November 22, 2008 at 10:01 am

    It pains me to throw away stale bread and pains me even more to pay high prices for "gourmet" croutons. Thanks for this easy solution to both pains. Could you suggest an alternative to garlic powder?
    Reply
  3. Emily says

    November 23, 2008 at 2:29 pm

    Croutons are my absolute favorite part of a salad, so it would be great to make them myself! Thanks for the recipe!
    Reply
  4. Juliet says

    November 24, 2008 at 2:11 pm

    Yum, I love making my own croutons. I hate letting those last bits of stale bread go to waste, plus I can make them to the desired crunchiness (crunchy on the outside but still a little soft in the middle).
    Reply
  5. Lisa C. says

    November 24, 2008 at 5:01 pm

    Mmmm, yumyum, homemade croutons. I've been making my own for about a year now, ever since I looked at the back of a crouton box and got a good look at the list of non-bread ingredients. Four ingredients is much better than 25.
    Reply
  6. ivy says

    December 15, 2008 at 11:09 am

    Ah yes, Croutons.... one of the (two) best ways to use up leftover breads. The other, of course is bread puddings, and who hasn't grated an end for breadcrumbs? :) Peace, Ivy
    Reply
  7. kay says

    October 19, 2013 at 5:25 pm

    try sprinkling Parmesan cheese on the croutons before baking.
    Reply

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