Basic Croutons Recipe
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Croutons add a welcome, toasty crunch to any salad or soup that may be falling a little flat. This easy recipe can be made with any crusty bread, like pain au levain or sourdough. Try the croutons on top of gazpacho or a Caesar salad.
To see this recipe with illustrated steps, check out The Basics: How to Make Croutons.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced (optional)
- 3 cups large-dice crusty bread (from about 3 [1/2-inch] slices)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or thyme (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
- Heat the butter or oil in a large oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat until the butter is foaming or the oil is shimmering. Add the garlic, if using, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bread cubes, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat in the butter or oil.
- Transfer the frying pan to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Stir the croutons and bake until crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes more.
- Remove the pan from the oven, add the herbs, if using, and stir to combine.
Stingr69, we just kept them in an airtight container and they were still crunchy 3 days later. I wouldn't keep them around much longer than that.
Amy Wisniewski, CHOW test kitchen
How do you keep them from getting all chewy in storage? They come out great from the oven but if I bag them up for later they are not all that great. They loose that crispy goodness.