Bread Croutons Recipe
Croutons are a classic way to breathe new life into leftover bread, adding crunch and richness to salads, soups, and more. This bread recipe is simple and customizable—use any bread you like, and try torn or cubed pieces to see what texture suits your dish best.
Equipment
- Baking sheet (unlined)
- Oven
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Optional: Zip-top bag and rolling pin for variation
Ingredients
- 7 ounces about 4 cups of bread, torn into bite-size chunks or cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper optional
Instructions
- Set your oven to 350°F and make sure the rack is positioned in the center.
- In a bowl, combine the bread pieces with olive oil, salt, and pepper if desired. Toss well to evenly coat all pieces.
- Spread the seasoned bread in a single layer on an unlined baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring once or twice during baking, until they’re golden and crisp. Let them cool on the sheet—they’ll continue to crisp as they cool.
- Store croutons in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To refresh them, bake for about 5 minutes in a 200°F oven until they’re crisp again.
Variation: Toasted Bread Crumbs
- Follow the basic crouton instructions, then let them cool completely.
- Transfer the croutons to a zip-top plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin to your preferred texture—coarse or fine.
- Use coarse crumbs for pasta bakes or omelet fillings. Finer crumbs are great for breading or thickening soups.
Notes
- Bread with added sugar or enrichments will brown faster and may yield softer croutons.
- Flavored breads might limit where you can use the croutons depending on taste compatibility.
- This recipe works equally well with both torn and cubed bread—feel free to experiment.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!