Making Crispy Croutons
A good crouton should be an obstacle to the fork, offering a loud crunch before yielding. Fresh bread is too soft for this, so use something with a bit of age that can withstand the heat of the oven without turning into dust.
Commit to the crunch
Your bread choice determines the texture; sourdough or a rustic baguette holds up better than soft sandwich loaves. If your bread is still soft, leave the cubes out on a rack for an hour to dehydrate before they hit the pan.
- large rimmed baking sheet
- serrated bread knife
- mixing bowl
What goes in.
- 4 cupsstale rustic bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/3 cupextra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tspkosher salt
- 1/4 tspblack pepper, freshly cracked
- 1/2 tspdried oregano or thyme
Even distribution
Toss the cubes in the bowl before adding them to the tray to ensure every rough edge is coated in oil, which guarantees consistent browning.
The method.
Preheat the oven
Set your oven to 400°F (200°C) and place a rack in the center position.
Prepare the bread
Tear or cut the bread into rough 1-inch pieces; irregular shapes create more surface area for crisping.
Season
In a large bowl, whisk the oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. Add the bread and toss thoroughly until the oil has soaked into the crumb.
Arrange
Spread the bread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Do not crowd the pan, or the cubes will steam instead of crisp.
Bake
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through. They are ready when they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped with a spoon.
Other turns to take.
Garlic Butter
Replace half the olive oil with melted unsalted butter and toss in one clove of finely grated fresh garlic before baking.
Cheese Crust
Toss the croutons with two tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan during the final three minutes of baking.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If using a convection setting, lower the heat to 375°F to prevent the corners from burning before the centers crisp.
Store in a paper bag or a jar with a loose lid rather than a sealed container, which traps moisture and softens the crunch.
If the croutons aren't crisp enough after cooling, put them back in a 300°F oven for five minutes to drive off remaining moisture.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my croutons turn out chewy?
The bread was likely too fresh or the oven temperature was too low. Using slightly dry bread and a high, consistent heat is the only way to drive out the moisture.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
Butter contains water and milk solids that can burn at 400°F. If you want the flavor of butter, mix it with oil or add it toward the end of the baking cycle.
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