These croutons are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside—ideal for salads or on top of soup. I like to tear the bread by hand to make interesting shapes, and I don’t make them overly crispy: if you want a super crispy, perfectly square crouton you might as well buy them at the store. You’ll likely end up with too many croutons for a salad, but you’ll want to snack on half of them anyway.
Garlicky Herbed Croutons
These croutons are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside—ideal for salads or on top of soup. I like to tear the bread by hand to make interesting shapes, and I don’t make them overly crispy: if you want a super crispy, perfectly square crouton you might as well buy them at the store. You’ll likely end up with too many croutons for a salad, but you’ll want to snack on half of them anyway.
Ingredients
Makes about 3 cups
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 pound levain bread crust discarded and middle torn into bite-size pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a small pot on low heat, mix together the butter and olive oil.
- When the butter has melted and combined with the oil, add the garlic and herbs and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- In a large bowl, pour the olive oil mixture over the torn bread.
- Top with two healthy pinches each of salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Set aside to allow the bread to absorb the oil, stirring occasionally until you no longer see a pool at the bottom of the bowl, about 4 minutes.
- Spread the bread in a single layer on the baking sheet (it’s okay for the bread to touch, just make sure it’s in one single layer).
- Bake, tossing occasionally, until the croutons are crispy and have turned a dark brown around the edges, about 15 minutes.
- Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 1 day.