These are such a treat in soups in the winter and salads in the summer

DIY Croutons

Tips:  It is best to use hearty-ish bread to make these croutons.  I bake a lot of sourdough and a lot of times I’ll take the last couple of slices and make croutons to have with an upcoming dinner.  If you are not a bread baker this recipe is still for you.  Use up the last few slices of an artisan bread from the bakery to do the same thing.   

The recipe below can be followed word for word but I can also recommend a little freestyling to make them to your taste or experiment and make them a little different depending on how you intend to use them.  You can mix up the spices, skip the cheese and add some seeds or other types of fresh or dried herbs. 

Note:  These don’t last long around our house but it is good to note that if you are using the parmesan cheese or fresh herbs, you should try to use these within a couple of days.   You can add the cheese and herbs when you are ready to serve.  I keep these in a sealed glass jar on the counter and typically they keep for about a week or a bit more.  You can store them in the refrigerator for a little longer life.                  

Cut your bread into bite size cubes.  Set your skillet on the stove and add the bread and olive oil to the pan.   Give the bread cubes a good toss with a spoon or spatula to make sure they are all coated with the oil.  Sprinkle over your crushed flake salt.  You can use regular table salt if you want but in that case I would recommend slightly reducing the amount of salt. 

Cook the mixture over a medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. Be sure to stir them every few minutes. About have way through, add in any dried herbs you want to use.  You will start to notice the bread cubes getting slightly brown and a bit more dry.  

Adjust your cooking time as needed so as not to let them burn but also don’t take them off too soon or you will have soggy cubes.   Add the grated parmesan and fresh herbs just at the last minute of cooking or even after you have removed them from the heat.  

If you are serving these with salad, let the croutons cool first.