Crunchy homemade croutons are the best way to use up stale bread and they are delicious on top of soups and salads. These easy Sourdough Croutons are so much better than anything you can buy in a shop, and you can adapt them with different herbs too. I bet you will be surprised at just how easy they are to make.
I think the first time I had a crouton was on a Caesar salad at a restaurant. They were so crunchy they almost broke your teeth, and they had no flavour to them. These homemade croutons are the exact opposite of those. They have just the right about of crunch, and we have added some oregano and Parmesan for plenty of flavour.
Bread is one of the most thrown away foods, but as long as it is just a bit stale, then there is no need to throw it away. Especially with an expensive bread like sourdough. Just cut it in to cubes, mix it with some oil, herbs and seasoning and then bake it until crispy.
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Why should you try it?
- Reduced waste - We hate throwing anything away, but sometimes we don't get through bread before it goes stale. If we don't need to make any breadcrumbs, then we use stale bread to make croutons.
- Healthier than store bought - I know it's easy to just buy a bag of store bought croutons, but these are much healthier. No preservatives or sugar added, just simple ingredients.
- Easy - These are so simple to make. Just chop everything up and throw it together. You really can't go wrong here.
- Adaptable - You could keep the sourdough croutons plain, or you could jazz them up with herbs and cheese like we have. We have given some options below.
- Versatile - There are so many ways to use these croutons too. On top of soups and salads are my favourite.
What you will need
- Bread - We used sourdough bread, as we love the texture. However you can use any sliced bread, just make sure it is a couple of days old, as bread that is a little stale works best.
- Oil - We used olive oil. Try to use the best quality olive oil you can, as you really will be able to taste the difference.
- Salt and pepper - Freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper.
- Oregano - Dried oregano adds lots of flavour to these croutons. You could use a mixture of oregano, basil and thyme.
- Cheese - I mean, it doesn't get much better than cheesy croutons, does it? We added some parmesan a few minutes before they are finished cooking and then put it back in the oven to melt. SO good.
Step by step
One: Put all of the ingredients, except the parmesan, in a bowl and mix well.
Two: Spread the croutons out on a large baking tray and put in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for 10 minutes.
Three: Take them out of the oven and sprinkle over the parmesan, and then put them back in the oven for 3 minutes.
Variations
This is quite a simple recipe, which is what we love about it, so there isn't much to adapt. However, you can change the bread and seasoning you use, so you can make it a different way each time.
Bread - We used sourdough to make these croutons as it goes stale pretty quickly so it's usually the bread we are left with leftovers, but there are so many options when it comes to what bread to use. You could use leftovers from our Easy White Bread recipe or you could use a wholemeal loaf. Did you also know that you can make croutons from leftover bagels? Yes, bagel croutons are a thing! Why not make our Easy Bagel Recipe and save some to make these.
Seasoning - You could just use oil and salt and pepper on these sourdough croutons and keep them simple, but a little extra flavour goes a long way. We added oregano, but dried basil and thyme work well too. A little parmesan sprinkled on a few minutes before the end of cooking time adds some lovely cheesiness. You could use a mature cheddar too, but it needs to be finely grated.
You could give these homemade croutons a smokey and spicy flavour by adding a pinch of chilli powder and paprika. Adapt the flavour depending on how you are going to serve them. Garlic infused olive oil adds a nice flavour too.
What to serve with sourdough croutons
I would happily eat these straight off the baking tray - they are THAT good. However, if you want to serve them with something, then soups and salads are the way to go.
Soup is such comfort food and nice and light, however I like to add some texture to it with croutons, and there is no need to serve the soup with bread then. Why not serve these croutons with our Broccoli and Stilton Soup, Easy Tomato Soup, Kale Soup, Potato and Leek Soup or Creamy Vegetable Soup.
If it's some salad recipes that you are looking for, then we have you covered there too! Why not try serving these on our Goats Cheese and Pumpkin Salad, Little Gem Salad, Easy Lentil Salad, BBQ Chicken Salad or Healthy Caesar Salad.
Croutons are also delicious on top of a hearty stew. Give them a try on our Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon, Slow Cooker Beef Goulash or Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ideally, 2-3 day old bread works well for croutons. Don't use really fresh bread, just bread that is a little stale. The more stale the bread, the crunchier the croutons will be, and you don't want them TOO crunchy.
Sourdough croutons store really well. Once they are cooled, transfer them to an air tight container and you can store them at room temperature for up to a week.
Yes, they actually freeze really well. Once cool, transfer to a freezer bag and they will keep in the freezer for 6 weeks. They only take a couple of hours to defrost too and then you can just heat them through in a pan, which will crisp them up again.
Yes, these croutons are naturally vegan. Just make sure that the bread you are using is vegan.
Extra tips
- If you are only making a few croutons, rather than a big batch, then you can cook them in a frying pan. Just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and then toast them in a pan.
- For a more indulgent croutons, you could use a mixture of melted butter and oil, rather than just oil.
- Make sure everything is well mixed, so all the croutons are covered in oil and seasoning.
- Let the croutons cool completely before serving.
- Add some extra flavour by using an infused oil like garlic or chilli.
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Recipe
Sourdough Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 slice sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 30 g Parmesan - grated
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients, except the parmesan, in a bowl and mix well.
- Spread the croutons out on a large baking tray and put in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for 10 minutes.
- Take them out of the oven and sprinkle over the parmesan, and then put them back in the oven for 3 minutes.
Notes
- If you are only making a few croutons, rather than a big batch, then you can cook them in a frying pan. Just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and then toast them in a pan.
- For a more indulgent croutons, you could use a mixture of melted butter and oil, rather than just oil.
- Make sure everything is well mixed, so all the croutons are covered in oil and seasoning.
- Let the croutons cool completely before serving.
- Add some extra flavour by using an infused oil like garlic or chilli.
Lubna
Omg...sourdough croutons sounds delicious and I am craving to try this recipe soon...
AISilva
I completely agree that most croutons are way too crunchy! These sourdough croutons sound like the perfect mixture of texture and flavour. I can't wait to try these!
Gina
I do this all the time with the "butts" of my homemade sourdough! Perfect for salads or soup topping!
Alisa Infanti
This recipe is so great and way better than store-bought croutons.
Aimee Mars
My kids LOVE croutons, I mean, who am I kidding so do I, but they always ask for them for soups and salads. This is a great recipe and I don't have to worry about all the junk that a store-bought version has in them.