Homemade Croutons

My Number One Fan used to make homemade croutons by the bucketful years ago, and then stopped making them and then, we both forgot about them. Recently having two loaves of bread that we were not going to eat, one whole wheat and another Jewish rye, I announced that I'd reclaim them as croutons.  She remembered the Pioneer Woman website recipe that she had used years ago.  It's a fine recipe, but I found it - as well as nearly every other recipe I researched online - to be finite about the measurement of ingredients.  I don't think that model works very well.

For one thing, I think croutons are an opportunistic endeavor.  In other words, you make croutons when you happen to have leftover bread that you don't want to go to waste.  So, the amount of bread is always going to be in flux.  The main thing to get right is the list of ingredients and the ratios of the ingredients to the amount of bread you have. So, that's what I've done here.

It is a matter of personal preference as to exactly how you like your croutons.  If you're accustomed to packaged croutons, like Pepperidge Farms for example, you might like a very hard-toasted, dry crouton.  Personally, I prefer a lightly toasted crouton that has a mouthfeel with a little resistance when you bite into one, but doesn't require the jaw strength of an alligator. 

Moreover, I like a crouton that is full of absorbed oil and flavor.  I want to see a tiny bit of oil on my fingers when I pick them up; not dripping in oil, mind you, but just a touch.  Absorbed fat in the crouton will add to its mouthfeel and flavor.  If you like a drier crouton, then adjust the recipe accordingly.

I won't measure croutons in cups.  It's not efficient and the volume will be impacted by the shape and size of the croutons when measured in a cylindrical enclosure.  It's more efficient to measure volume of croutons by the sheet pan, when the croutons are laid out in a single layer.  And to be clear, I'm using what is called in the U.S. a half sheet pan, or 18" x 13".  Sheet pans in the US are generally sold according to standard sizes with a full sheet pan almost always only available in restaurant supply houses at dimensions of 26" x 18", far too large for most standard sized home ovens.

The ingredient quantities, therefore, are calculated according to a ratio based on this sheet pan size of 18" x 13". In my case, two near-full loaves of bread yielded two sheet pans, so I used double the amounts of the ingredients listed below.

Finally, some people like to leave the crusts on their croutons.  I don't.  Crusts are going to bake at a different rate than the bread will, and so you will have uneven crispiness or maybe even burnt edges unless you're very cautious of the roasting time. I prefer the consistency of using just the bread and leave the crusts behind.

Ingredients
Per 18" x 13" Sheet Pan
3/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons butter (melted in the microwave)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (like, the Kraft green can)
2 tbsp Italian Seasonings
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

The Recipe
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack placed in the top 1/3.

Cut the crusts off of each slice of bread using a very sharp chef's knife.  Cut the bread into cubes.  For a slice of the standard sandwich-size whole wheat bread, I was able to cut the bread into four strips, and then cut the strips perpendicularly four times, giving me sixteen cubes to the slice.  

The rye bread was a little less mathematical because of it's "deli-style" shape.  Each slice yielded about three strips with five perpendicular cuts, so fifteen cubes per slice, but this was inconsistent because the loaf was rounded and slices of bread toward the heels were in ever diminishing sizes.

Once you have the bread cut into cubes, lay them out in a single layer on your sheet pan.  Really take the time to make sure the bread cubes are indeed end-to-end, so you will have even, uniform roasting.

Using a wire whisk, mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, preferably one with a spout.  Slowly and evenly pour the mixture over the bread cubes.

Take a spatula, and turn the bread crumbs over a couple of times to be sure they soak up all the oil and seasonings on all sides.  Then again, carefully arrange the cubes into a single layer.

Put the sheet pan in the oven and set the timer for ten minutes.  It's impossible to tell you exactly how long the croutons will take to roast.  There are too many variables.  First, just how crispy do you want them?  Secondly, how fresh is the bread?  The fresher the bread, the more moisture it will contain and therefore, the longer it will take to roast.  Stale bread will roast much quicker.  Thirdly, what kind of bread is it?  Dense bread, like rye or pumpernickel will take longer than standard sandwich bread, and whole wheat bread will take longer than white bread.

So, start at ten minutes. Pull the sheet pan out of the oven enough to take a crouton or two and taste them.  That will tell you if the croutons are ready or if they need to continue roasting.  You can go in 5 to 10 minute increments after that, depending on how close you think the croutons are to your liking.  In my case, about 26 minutes was sufficient to roast one sheet pan.  After I removed it from the oven, I put the lower sheet pan in the top rack and roasted for another ten minutes before they were ready.

Thoroughly allow the croutons to cool before putting them in an airtight container and storing in your pantry for a few weeks.