When I was little I would beg my mom to let me take croutons as a snack to school. No salad, just croutons. They weren’t even the good croutons, they were the cardboard-like ones you would get in the salad dressing aisle at the grocery store. I still have the same affinity for croutons, but now, its for golden, crunchy, homemade ones.
The key to these “grown up” croutons is good bread. I used sourdough, but you could use your favorite hardy rustic bread, just make sure it’s a few days old. Rich and I put the croutons on salad, soup, and eat them right off the pan. They also make a great pre-dinner snack with some cheese and a glass of wine…
“Grown Up” Croutons
1/2 old bread, like sourdough
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Cut bread into 3/4 inch cubes. Put the bread on a dark, heavy baking sheet. Drizzle cubed bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to evenly coat bread with oil and spices. Spread cubed bread in an even layer on baking sheet. Bake at 385 degrees for 8 minutes, then flip croutons and bake 4 minutes more. Croutons should be golden and crunchy when they’re done. Enjoy!