Follow the hyper-link to a great bread recipe. It is a no-knead bread recipe using a Dutch Oven. Homemade bread is a great choice for homemade croutons since you control the ingredients and avoid the chemical additives found in commercial bread products.
Homemade croutons, in addition to the degree of control you have over what you are putting into your system, you control the texture. Less time in the oven results in s softer crouton. More time in the oven leads to homemade croutons with the serious crunch mentioned in the title. This crunch is a welcome texture when added to your favorite salad or soup.
Another benefit of homemade croutons is you control the varying degrees on flavor. You can try different oils to alter the flavor. Just be careful of the temperature at which the oil burns. Olive oil burns at a lower temperature than, say, vegetable oil. If you choose Olive Oil, the olive oil may scorch; whereas, the vegetable oil may be fine or take longer to bring on the crunch. You can also experiment with different herbs. Once you toss the bread crumbs in oil, dried herbs will adhere to the bread crumbs. One final control you have is any type of shredded cheese you might add. The recipe below opts for a mild Parmesan cheese. You can select a bolder cheese if you prefer a bolder flavor profile.
If you care to know more about bread crumbs, this link provides some background on all things bread crumbs.
If you want to go down the rabbit hole, check out this link. It should take you to a good read that will put you on the homemade band wagon.
Homemade croutons and homemade bread, in general, provide a firm foundation for improving your family’s health and well being.
Homemade Croutons, Serious Crunch
Homemade bread, destined for homemade croutons, delivers serious flavors to these crouton crunchies.
- 2 cups bread (day old, roughly torn)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup cheese, parmessan
In a glass bowl, roughly tear bread to make 2 cups
Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat bread crumbs.
Add pepper, salt, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder.
Gently stir to coat the bread crumbs.
Spread seasoned bread crumbs on prepared baking sheet.
Bake in a 375 degree oven about 10 minutes or until bread is browned and fragrant.