How to Make Croutons out of Bread
Croutons are an easy and delicious way to spice up your salad or side dish. You can make them as healthy or as decadent as you want by adding whatever flavoring strikes your fancy.
Croutons are a bread topping with a crunchy texture, served as an addition to salads or soups or as an ingredient in stuffing’s. They can be homemade or commercially prepared from bread cubes, chunks, or crumbs that are browned in butter or oil and seasoned.
Croutons are sometimes the most exciting and flavorful part of a salad, depending on how they are prepared. Homemade croutons are surprisingly easy to make and could be flavored with any herb of your choice. This article will go over a few ways to get you started. Additional information: you can use any dough in making croutons, like sourdough bread; you can check that out at My Daily Sour Dough Bread.
Recipe 1: Traditional Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil Croutons
Ingredients:
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1 Loaf of bread (white, wheat, or sourdough)
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3 Tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
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2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar or brown sugar
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Salt and ground pepper to taste
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2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, optional
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. For a softer crouton, you can go for thicker slices of bread. Toss gently with the olive oil or melted butter, balsamic vinegar, or brown sugar until well coated.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking. If you like a crispier crouton, you can cook these for 12 minutes to get a more flaky texture. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with fresh parsley if desired.
This recipe makes about 3 cups. These traditional styles of croutons are extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes. Some of the most popular ways to serve this kind are with Italian-style salads or over fresh greens. This is one of the most common ways to prepare croutons from bread and is usually a crowd favorite. This recipe is similar to what you would find in many restaurants.
Recipe 2: Zesty, Cheesy Croutons
Ingredients:
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1 loaf of bread (white, wheat, sourdough)
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cup shredded Parmesan cheese
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cup shredded Cheddar cheese
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cup grated Parmesan cheese
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6 Tablespoons butter
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1 Tablespoon minced onion