I love salads. I love every part of a salad, but if I am being completely truthful, croutons do stand just a tiny bit above all of the other classic salad elements. Crispy bread seasoned well soaking up the dressing and adding a hearty, crunchy texture that most salads benefit from… croutons rock.
Although there are plenty of great croutons at the grocery store, homemade croutons are undeniably a step above their store bought friends. The texture is better because you can bake them to be as crunchy as you want on the outside and unless you bake them up super crisp, they will stay nice and chewy on the inside, plus you can season them any way you want!
Don’t they sound like something your salad needs?
Let’s get started…
These croutons are best made with a baguette, but if you want softer croutons, check out my garlic herb stovetop croutons here.
Begin by cutting a medium sized baguette into cubes. I typically cut 1 inch slices out of the baguette and then cut each slice into four cubes. This will give you large croutons, but if you prefer something smaller, you can absolutely cut the baguette into smaller pieces.
Put all of the bread cubes into a large baking sheet and drizzle about 4 tablespoons of olive oil over the entire sheet. Toss the bread around a little bit to lightly coat each piece and then sprinkle with your seasonings.
Today, I am using 1 teaspoons of garlic powder, 1 teaspoons of onion powder, 1 teaspoons of dried Italian herbs, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. This is a great all around spice combination that will work well with any salad, but if you want to shake things up a bit, you can use some curry powder, Old Bay or a chili spice blend. These croutons are very easy to customize to perfectly pair with the soup or salad that you are serving them with.
Bake the croutons in a 400 degree oven for 8-12 minutes, depending on how crisp you prefer your croutons. I like to bake them until they are about 80% of the way there, because they will continue to crisp up a bit more as they cool.
They are crunchy, buttery and beautifully seasoned and whether you add them to a hearty panzanella or bulk up a lighter house salad with a big pile of them, you are going to love these delicious croutons.
Baked Baguette Croutons
Ingredients
- a medium baguette, cubed
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Place the cubed baguette onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil
- Toss the bread cubes in the olive oil and then sprinkle the seasoning over
- Toss again until all of the bread is lightly coated in olive oil and seasoned generously
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 8-12 minutes or until the croutons are crisp (croutons will become a bit more crisp as they cool)
- Serve immediately and store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature
