I never know what to do with left-over fresh bread I buy from bakeries that are 1-2 days old. I end up using what I need, and then can’t seem to finish off the rest. I recently went into Baker and Olive (a local shop) to get some rosemary and olive oil bread and was contemplating whether I should get the entire loaf or just half. I did not want to waste it and only needed about a half for the panini I was making. The lady at the register commented on how easy it is to make croutons from left over bread and I was sold on the entire loaf!
Two days later, I cubed the left over bread and tossed it with some olive oil and salt. I baked them in the oven for about 30 minutes, and out came fresh hot croutons! They were so good that I finished 1/3 of them right when they came out of the oven. I used the rest with salads I made that following week. I don’t think I’ll be buying croutons from the store anymore!
HOMEMADE CROUTONS: (gluten-free, vegan)
Ingredients:
fresh or day old bread (any kind)
olive oil or butter
salt
garlic powder (optional)
dried herbs, such as parsley or rosemary (optional)
- Cube the bread. In a bowl, mix the olive oil/butter, dried herbs, and/or garlic powder. The exact amounts are to taste and add just enough oil or butter to coat the bread (no need for a lot).
- Toss the mixture with the bread in a bowl until all the bread cubes are evenly coated.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 15min.
- Check to see if they are dry, crispy, and golden brown.
- Bake for an additional 15min until done (note that absolute time may vary depending on your bread and oven). Enjoy with your favorite salad or just as is! Store any left-overs in an air-tight container.
~ Anjali
Pritika Chandiramani
Hey Anjali,
We’ve connected before on instagram and ive started recently trying out a couple of recipes… Especially the overnight oats and today I was trying the croutons at home,… i had a query regarding it…
I have a black & decker toaster oven which has toasting, baking and broil options. Can I use this for the croutons directly on Toast mode? Or do you recommend baking? I was trying to make the most of this handy toaster and in less time if possible.
Let me know your thoughts!
Pritika
anjali
Hi! And welcome to my site! Thanks for following. To answer your question, yes you can easily use your toaster oven, but definitly use it on the ‘bake’ setting as you would a traditional oven to the right temperature. Make sure till it gets to that temperature in your toaster oven before placing it in. And of course, since all ovens (especially a toaster oven) works slightly differently, just watch the croutons and take them out once they are crispy and golden. Let me know how you like them! And if you get a chance, comment on my other recipes as you try them out! I love knowing how the recipes turned out for my followers. Thanks again!
Pritika
Thanks for this! The croutons turned out really nicethough it took longer because I had not preheated the toaster oven.
In your original recipe, if I use a conventional oven for a bigger batch, should I preheat the oven to 300 or directly bake it? It could be very obvious but I have just started cooking independently here after my marriage, so trying to understand the baking techniques 🙂
anjali
Glad to hear they turned out nice. And yes, absolutely, always need to preheat the oven unless stated otherwise. Especially for things like baking. If you put something in the oven before it’s preheated, it may not cook correctly, or burn the top since the oven is at a state of trying to get to your set temperature. So unless stated otherwise, preheat toaster oven or oven. I’ll check my recipe to make sure I’m clear next time. Thank you!! And please feel free to let me know if you ever have any questions! Thanks for following.
Scot Robnett
How is this gluten free? Fresh or day old bread (any kind) sounds full of gluten to me…what am I missing?
anjali
I’ve made home-made gluten-free croutons several times using gluten-free bread.
anjali
but i will indicate that if i haven’t already
AngelaKin
It turns normal boring leftovers into yummy new meals.. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe
Anjali Lalani
Thank you! Glad you liked it.