Homemade Croutons - 4 ingredients! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

FAQs

Homemade Croutons - 4 ingredients! Recipe - Rachel Cooks®? ›

How to Make Croutons. All you need to do is cut the bread into cubes, toss it with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt, spread them on a baking sheet and bake. They only take 10 minutes to bake (but if you have really fresh bread, they'll take longer to get golden brown).

They should not be chewy when they come out of the oven. Bake croutons in a single layer on the baking sheet to crisp up the bread, rather than steaming it. Why are my homemade croutons soggy? It could be that you stored your croutons before they were fully cooled.

You don't want any added moisture in the storage container. Once cooled, store the croutons in an airtight container or jar in a cool, dry place. To soak up any excess moisture, you can add a paper towel to the bottom of the container. Stored at room temperature, the homemade croutons will last up to 3 days.

Crowding the pan. Pile the bread cubes on top of each other and they won't have enough space to crisp up and brown. Instead, make sure they're in a even layer.

How long do croutons last? The expected shelf-life for homemade croutons is about two weeks. Moisture encourages mold, so make sure your croutons are completely dehydrated during the bake and let cool completely at room temperature before storing them away in an airtight container.

Croutons taste fantastic in soups and salads and with this easy dehydrator recipe, you can now always have some to hand.

Simply make your croutons, place them into a freezer-friendly bag or container, and store them in the freezer. Take them out to thaw and then you're ready to enjoy!

If you have leftovers, you can simply re-crisp them by running them back in the oven for about 5 minutes on 350 degrees.

You want to make sure the butter has melted and seeped into the bread a little bit. If you don't like your bread too crunchy, remove it from the oven a little but earlier. If you're a crunchy garlic bread fan like me, you want to leave it in the oven until the edges of the bread turn golden brown.

Can you freeze freshly made croutons? ›

Croutons: Yes, you can freeze them! Cube stale bread and toast it for a few minutes. Then, place the croutons into a resealable freezer bag and stow in the freezer. You can also freeze the uncooked bread cubes and toast them at a later time.

Commercially packaged croutons, due to their preservatives and packaging, can last significantly longer. They can often be stored at room temperature for several months without any noticeable degradation in texture or flavor.

Storing in a sealed, airtight container or reusable, sealable bag (I like Stasher) at room temperature is also key (don't store in the fridge as that would add moisture and therefore make your croutons soggy).

Put the bread in a cold oven, then turn the heat to 300° F. Let the loaf slowly heat up for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the density and dryness of the bread. Start checking the bread after 10 minutes.

Let croutons cool in a single layer on the baking sheet. Use immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To refresh stale croutons, bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 400 degrees.

Let me explain: Most croutons are crunchy through and through, but these are designed to be crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle–far better for munching out of hand (or as a complement to tender salad leaves) than the hard, desiccated store-bought kind.