The only problem with making homemade croutons is they may never see a salad! I treat croutons as a snack more than an addition or decoration for a salad. Done right, they are addicting!
The following recipe is from Minimalist Baker but I’m giving you the no frills version (with a few tweaks). Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 6 cups bread of choice*, cut into 1-inch (2 ½ cm) cubes (8 slices standard-size sandwich bread or 4-5 slices of larger bread like sourdough yield ~6 cups or 250 g)
- 1/4 cup avocado oil, or sub olive oil; *even better, I use clarified butter! (you can also mix these any way you please, 50/50 olive oil and clarified butter is a good one)
- 3/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian herb seasoning (dried basil + oregano // optional)
- * I’d add 1 tsp paprika for an attractive color and smoky taste.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C).
- Add all ingredients to a baking sheet and toss with clean hands to evenly coat. Bake for 8-12 minutes (8 for softer croutons, 12 for crunchier), or until slightly golden and firm to the touch. We baked ours for 10 minutes.
- Let cool slightly before serving with soup or salad. Leftovers keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.