Croutons

Try this easy recipe for homemade croutons

Delight in the pure pleasure of toasted, crispy homemade croutons. This easy recipe requires just a few simple ingredients and transforms day-old bread into a crispy, golden treat. The best thing is that you do not even have to turn on the oven; you simply use a frying pan, which gives you complete control over the process, so you get the perfect croutons. Golden and crispy, they are ideal for enhancing your favourite dishes with a slight crunch and a touch of toasted flavours.

The best bread for croutons

You can use any bread, but the perfect crouton bread toasts well and holds its shape and texture without becoming too hard or chewy. Different types add different flavours, and you can also use a mix of bread types to get slightly different textures and flavours in the same batch of croutons.

If you use day-old bread, you can use everything from white to whole wheat sandwich bread. Generally, slightly stale bread, regardless of the type, is better for croutons than fresh bread. It is drier, so it toasts better and absorbs the butter and oil more effectively.

Sourdough is known for its sturdy crust and chewy interior, and it holds up well to toasting and provides a nice crunch and a slightly tangy flavour.

Baguette or ciabatta have a good crust and light and airy crumb. They toast up nicely, offering a good balance of crunch and chewiness.

Sweet brioche is ideal if you prefer richer, buttery croutons. Brioche and similar sweet bread will give you a softer, more indulgent crouton.

Elevate your meals with crunchy croutons

Croutons are perfect for any dish that needs a bit of crunch. They are especially delicious in soups and fresh salads. In soups, they add texture in the form of a nice chewy crunch, and they are delicious in most variations. Try it in, for example, this tomato and lentil soup or our rich cheese soup.

The crispy bites are also delicious on salads, whether a fresh summer salad or a rich winter salad. We use croutons on this green salad with salad cheese and this asparagus and tomato salad. They can also add a crispness to a lentil salad or a quinoa salad with chicken.

Experiment with flavours and seasoning

The toasted, buttery flavour is delicious, but you can also add other flavours and seasonings to your croutons. Shake things up with fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme for an aromatic touch, or sprinkle with spices like garlic powder or chilli powder for a savoury, spicy kick.

Cheese lovers can toss the bread cubes with cheese before toasting. Try grated Parmesan for a salty touch, grated cheddar for a warm, deep flavour, or crumbled blue cheese for a pungent kick. Parmesan results in a crisp, slightly cheesy crust, while cheddar tends to melt more, giving a richer, chewier edge. Blue cheese might not crisp as much, leading to a softer, moister crust. When making cheese croutons, it is best to toast them at a slightly lower temperature and for a longer time, allowing the cheese to melt and the croutons to crisp without burning.