Clothes Make the Man, But Croutons Make the Salad – Crispy, Crunchy Croutons

While clothes may make the man, croutons make the salad…or soup…or pasta. They are little nuggets of crispness that finish a dish, and no, they should not be relegated just to salads. They can be a little oasis in a creamy soup and will add humble flair to a brothy pasta. They are the crispy bits that everyone searches out in whatever dish they are served.

Any crouton, including store-bought, is better than none, but homemade croutons rule. They are not hard to make, but how many people do you know who make their own? So when homemade croutons are scattered on top, it makes a dish special.

There are two schools of thought on making croutons, in and on top of the oven. In the oven is probably easier because it requires less attention; coat bread cubes in a little oil with a sprinkling of salt, lay them on a sheet pan in the oven, and stir once or twice. It’s pretty hard to burn them. But I am an on top of the oven guy; they get more flavor and character as the edges become unevenly browned and the texture is not 100% uniform throughout.

I often make croutons out of leftover Italian or French bread – after all, isn’t that why croutons (and stuffing and breadcrumbs) were invented, so as not to waste the leftovers? But other times the leftover bread you have on hand is not right for the type of crouton you need.

The type of crouton you make depends on its purpose. Croutons for salad need to be big, with a crispy but not too firm bite, while those for soup or pasta need to be small and extra crispy-crunchy. Thus, high quality, crusty bread is not the best choice for salad croutons; they can become too hard, which may actually hurt your mouth as you chew. But these croutons are perfect for soup or pasta, because it prevents them from getting soggy too quickly and falling apart. Think breakfast cereal that has a coating so it takes longer to get soggy in milk.

For salads, I prefer a cheaper, softer, mass-produced, supermarket Italian bread; it soaks up the oil better and provides the right texture. I often buy a whole loaf just to make croutons. And while this may make a lot, what’s the harm in leftover croutons? They will add the flair and crunch needed for whatever you are eating later in the week.

When cutting bread for croutons, size also matters; different dishes demand different size croutons. For salads, they should be relatively large, maybe ½-inch cubes. Soups and pastas warrant smaller cubes, maybe a ¼-inch on edge, or even less. So make sure to cut accordingly.

No matter what bread or size cubes you are using, I have three rules for making croutons:

1) Use a heavy pot or skillet to prevent burning, which is almost certain if the pot is too thin.

2) Go low and slow, and stir often. Sometimes I try to rush them and turn up the heat, but I inevitably burn a few, which imparts a slightly bitter flavor to the whole batch.

3) Make more than you think you need. There are never too many. They will get eaten because some people will eat them like potato chips.

Some argue that only stale bread should be used to make croutons. While stale bread is great, if it has been sitting for too long it just crumbles into breadcrumbs rather than cubes when cut. But fresh bread can be too soft to cut neatly into cubes, although I do use it if I didn’t plan ahead. (Croutons made from fresh bread will have to cook longer in order to dry out.) Ideally,  a loaf that is a day or two old is best, so it’s not too soft to cut and before it dries out completely and gets too brittle. If your store or bakery sells reduced-price, day-old bread, it’s perfect for croutons and may save you a buck or two at the same time.

Garlic croutons are extra special. If you are using garlic, it needs to be a paste, so no one gets a mouthful of garlic. I recommend using a garlic press or microplane grater, or alternatively chop the garlic, then add a little salt and mash it with the side of a big knife on a cutting board. No matter how you do this, wait until the last few minutes of cooking to add the garlic to the croutons, lest it burn and impart a bitter flavor.

There may be a small pile of garlicky, greasy breadcrumbs at the bottom of the pot or skillet when you are done. This is your gift as cook; a little spoonful of tasty yumminess to savor on your own, without sharing with others.

Homemade Croutons

Makes about 1½ quarts, about 1 hour

1 loaf Italian or French bread, cut into cubes

5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided, plus more if needed, depending on the size of the loaf of bread

½ – 1 tsp. kosher salt

1 – 2 cloves garlic, pressed, grated on a microplane grater, or mashed with salt (optional)

1. Cut the bread into desired size cubes.
2. Heat a heavy pot or skillet large enough to hold and stir all bread cubes on low. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and salt.
3. Add bread cubes and stir to coat with oil. Different types of bread will absorb the oil differently. If at any time during the cooking process the croutons do not seem to have enough oil, add more, a tablespoon at a time, and stir to coat. How can you tell if there is enough oil? Each bread cube should have a little bit of oil on all sides, but should not be dripping, and all of the oil on the bottom of the pot should be absorbed.
4. Give the bread cubes a quick stir every two or three minutes to prevent burning, until they are almost done, about 30 – 45 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes. Taste to make sure they are salty enough and almost cooked to your desired crispness.
5. While the bread cubes are cooking, if making garlic croutons, mix the garlic paste with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
6. Add the oil and garlic paste mixture to the pot for the last few minutes of cooking, and stir quickly to spread the paste evenly over all bread cubes.
7. Cook for about 3 to 5 additional minutes, until the garlic is cooked, but not browned or burnt. Allow the croutons to cool before using.
8. Croutons can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container until use.

Please like and share this post: