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Turn your leftover sourdough bread into crunchy, golden croutons that keep the bread's unique tang while adding a satisfying crunch. These homemade treats will upgrade any soup or salad and help you use up bread that's sitting around.
Key Ingredients
- Leftover Sourdough Bread: Gives you that sturdy base and complex taste, just right for getting crispy.
- Good Quality Olive Oil: Makes them crisp up nicely while adding a smooth, rich flavor.
- Real Garlic Powder: Without the clumpy additives for clean, punchy garlic taste.
- Quality Dried Herbs: Used whole without extra dust for better texture and smell.
- Chunky Sea Salt: Brings out all the flavors with just the right punch.
- Freshly Ground Pepper: Adds a nice kick and rounds out the other seasonings.
- Parmesan Cheese (if you want): Gives a savory, cheesy twist for extra flavor.
- Baking Parchment: Keeps everything from sticking and helps them bake evenly.
Cooking Steps
- Getting the Bread Ready:
- Slice your bread into same-sized 3/4-inch squares, taking off any super hard crusts. Slightly old bread works great. If you're using fresh bread, let the cubes sit out a bit to dry.
- Making the Flavor Mix:
- Mix oil with your chosen seasonings in a big bowl, stirring well to blend everything. Toss in bread chunks a handful at a time, mixing thoroughly so each piece gets coated. Let them sit briefly to soak up flavors.
- Oven Time:
- Spread your coated bread bits on a tray with spaces between them. Turn the pan around halfway through cooking. Keep an eye on them near the end so they don't burn.
- Cooling Down:
- Let them cool completely on the baking sheet. This step locks in their crunchiness and stops moisture from making them soggy during storage.
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A chef who taught me once said to throw in a tiny bit of nutritional yeast with the seasonings – it really brings out the natural savory quality of the sourdough.
Keeping Them Fresh
After they've cooled down, put your croutons in a completely sealed container at room temp. Glass jars with snap lids work better than plastic bags for keeping them crunchy. Put a paper towel at the bottom to soak up any extra moisture. Check them now and then to make sure they're still crisp. If you want them to last longer, freeze the raw seasoned bread chunks and bake them when needed.
Mix It Up
Take these croutons in new directions while keeping their sourdough base. Make a Mediterranean batch with oregano, basil and dried tomatoes. Try a hot version with chili and cayenne powder. Some cooks love adding ranch seasoning for a familiar taste, while others go for curry powder to shake things up. You might also try herbs de Provence for a French-inspired twist.
Great Food Matches
Make the most of these crunchy bits by thinking about what flavors work together. Use the garlic and herb ones for Caesar salads. Add spicy versions to chunky soups like minestrone or French onion. Drop cheesy croutons on top of creamy soups. You can even serve plain ones alongside cheese plates or as a fancy topping for smooth, blended soups.
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How To Serve Them
Add your croutons right before serving to keep them crunchy. For soups, sprinkle them around the edges instead of in the middle so they don't get soggy too fast. Think about offering them in a separate dish for salads, letting everyone add their own to keep the crunch they like. When serving as snacks, put small amounts in little bowls so they don't get stale from sitting out too long.
These sourdough croutons are the perfect way to make simple meals special while using up bread that might go to waste. When you season them well and bake them carefully, you get versatile add-ons for all kinds of dishes. Whether they're on a basic salad or a fancy soup, these crunchy bites always bring great texture and flavor to the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Why put the bread in the freezer before cutting?
- A quick freeze makes the bread firmer so you can cut nice, even squares without smashing or tearing it.
- → Is old sourdough bread OK to use?
- Absolutely! Slightly stale bread makes fantastic croutons and won't need freezing before you cut it.
- → How can I tell when they're ready?
- Look for a golden brown color and they should feel hard when you touch them, with no soft parts left.
- → Why must they cool down completely?
- They need cooling time to get their full crunch and stay crispy when you store them.
- → Can I skip the oil?
- The oil is needed for that nice crunch and helps the seasonings stick, so you really can't leave it out.