This easy and simple crouton recipe yields perfect, crunchy croutons with loads of flavor. It only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and the end result are rustic croutons that are the star of any salad. Homemade croutons make any salad a homemade run!
Homemade Crouton Ingredients
The best part about homemade croutons is you don’t need any fancy ingredients.
- Cubed Bread
- Any kind of bread works. We had a loaf of leftover sourdough. You could use whatever you have on hand! Even sandwich bread. The bread does not need to be dried out for this recipe.
- Butter
- Melted.
- Herbs
- Dried herbs work best for this recipe. We use oregano, garlic and thyme.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Cube the bread and set aside. We like to cut the bread into rustic, uneven cubes because they really dress up a salad. You could make the croutons as large or as small as you like but be cautious of under or overbaking if they are not consistent in size. If unsure, keep an eye on them as they bake to ensure they’re golden brown. They can burn quickly!
Smaller cubed bread will need less time in the oven, larger sized cubes will need more time. The best bet to perfectly browned croutons is to keep an eye on them.
Melted Herb Butter Makes for Perfect Croutons
Melt butter in a large bowl, and once melted, add herbs. I prefer using dried herbs for croutons. If you do want to use fresh, I recommend tossing them over the croutons after they’ve baked.
Add the cubed bread to the melted butter mixture, and toss well to combine. The bread will quickly soak up the butter so toss them quickly so all the cubes evenly absorb butter.
Once the bread and butter have combined, spread the cubes onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Once the croutons are placed on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, place the sheet in the oven. Our croutons were about 1 inch cubes (give or take, rustically cut) and they were in the oven for about 13 minutes total. The first oven bake was about 6 minutes, then I tossed them, and back in the oven for about another 7 minutes.
Either way- toss the croutons halfway through baking to ensure an even golden hue. I also recommend keeping a close watch when making croutons. Oven temperatures can vary so for the most perfect croutons, check the oven every few minutes if they’re starting to look done.
That’s it! That is how you make perfect homemade croutons.
These would be delicious on our Autumn Salad, Winter Italian Salad, and even in a simple Caesar Salad.
To salads with delicious toppings!
Clink! – Rachel & Kathi
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Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed bread
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Line an 18x13 inch with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine melted butter, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and garlic. Stir well.
- Add bread cubes to butter, and toss until every piece is shiny and coated with butter.
- Spread buttered bread cubes across sheet pan.
- Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven, and toss. Bake for additional 7 minutes, or until croutons are crunchy and golden brown.
- Allow croutons to cool before dressing salad. Serve & enjoy!
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