How do you make croutons for scratch? Homemade croutons are the easiest thing you can think of. Seriously, I don’t think you can find something easier. That’s why I am sure you will also start making homemade croutons after reading this easy recipe and you will definitely remove this item from your groceries list.
If you are browsing this food blog you have probably noticed that I am trying to prepare everything myself. Or at least I am trying to avoid buying items that I know will be better when home made. Croutons are one of those things. My husband still thinks that “shkedei marak” are worth buying, though, and maybe he is right. Everything is relative when you talk about taste. So let’s say that in this case I personally prefer homemade croutons.
The beauty of learning how to make this homemade croutons from scratch is that you can really change the recipe as you feel like. Maybe you are hosting some friends and you want to prepare a quick aperitif and enjoy a bottle of wine before sitting around the table. Or maybe you just need to enrich a soup or a salad with some extra crunchy topping. They are really super versatile!
Now, you can decide if you want to bake your croutons or pan-fry them. Either options will turn your homemade croutons delicious.
Homemade croutons ingredients
- Bread: you don’t need a specific type of bread, anything will be good, but if you have bread leftovers use that. I usually use the leftovers of the no knead bread I make, because I like the rustic look and taste they bring to the table.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: this is a must for me, I don’t toss croutons with butter, but if you really have to, butter will not harm them 🙂
- Salt and Pepper: to give it some neutral taste
- Herbs: this ingredient is really optional. It depends on what you need the croutons for. You can choose dry or fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley. You can use them alone or make a mix.
How to Make Homemade Croutons
Cuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes15
minutesIngredients
4-5 Bread slices
2-3 spoons of Extra-virgin olive oil
A pinch of salt and pepper
Aromatic Herbs of your choice
Directions
- Cut the bread into small-medium cubes. You can use a knife or you can torn the bread into small chunks by hands. This will give it a more rustic look, which I prefer.
- Toss the bread chunks with oil, salt and pepper, in a medium bowl. Add you favorite aromatic herbs and mix it well.
- If you chose to bake the croutons preheat the oven to 240° and spread them out over a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 mins or until they get crispy.
- If you chose to pan fry croutons use a nonstick pan. Cook them over over medium heat, tossing a few times until crisp and golden.
What to serve with homemade croutons
As I said they are very versatile, so you can serve them as part of an aperitif, or as a topping on soups like: