These homemade Sourdough Croutons are extra crunchy, garlicky, and flavorful. They're great both in soups and salads. Easy to make and a great way to use up leftover bread!
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Why This Recipe Works
Extra crunchy - You can use any type of bread to make croutons but sourdough makes extra crunchy croutons. If you want croutons with a little softer bite, try white French bread or Italian bread.
Flavorful - The croutons are seasoned with garlic, onion, oregano, salt, and pepper. Olive oil also adds a nice flavor to them so they're delicious even on their own! You can adjust the seasoning to your liking by adding more herbs, chili flakes, or other spices.
No leftovers - Making your own croutons is a great way to use up any leftover bread, whether it's a loaf of sourdough or any other bread. It's a delicious way to lower food waste and add a little crunch to your favorite soups or salads.
Easy to make - These croutons call for just sourdough bread, oil, and a few spices. The croutons bake on low heat for about 25 minutes in the oven with minimal prep.
The perfect crunch for soups and salads - If you're looking for croutons that won't lose their crunch in your soup within a few seconds, look no further! Besides soup, they're also delicious in practically any salads. Try them in a Tomato Panzanella or a Caesar Salad!
Ingredients
- Sourdough bread - The better the bread is the better the croutons will be. Choose a loaf of sourdough bread you really like! I like using a local rye sourdough with caraway seeds or a wheat sourdough with cheese and herbs from a farmer's market I go to.
- Olive oil - I like using olive oil here for extra flavor but you can also use avocado oil or any other cooking oil. I don't recommend using butter to avoid it burning but you can use ghee which has a higher smoke point than butter and olive oil.
- Spices - Garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper are my go-to but you can add other spices to change up the flavors (see below). I don't recommend using fresh garlic because it burns very easily.
- Dried oregano - I recommend using dried herbs over fresh herbs here to prevent them from burning in the oven.
Variations and Substitutions
- More herbs - You can add dried herbs like thyme, parsley, sage, marjoram, and crushed rosemary, or a blend like Italian Seasoning or even Greek Seasoning. You can mix and match to get your favorite flavor.
- Make it spicy - Lightly sprinkle the croutons with crushed red pepper flakes, chipotle powder, cayenne pepper, or chili powder to add some heat. Cajun spice would also be a great addition.
- Ghee - I don't recommend using normal butter because its smoke point is too low for the oven and it could burn. You can however use melted ghee instead of olive oil to give the croutons a light butter flavor. It has a high smoke point and it's great for roasting.
- Gluten-free bread - Use gluten-free bread instead of classic sourdough if needed.
- Parmesan cheese - Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on the croutons towards the end of cooking for some added cheesiness.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300F (150C).
- Dice your bread into about 1-inch cubes.
- Place bread cubes on a large, rimmed baking sheet. You can use parchment paper but it's not necessary.
- Drizzle the bread with olive oil and toss to coat well.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, and dried oregano.
- Toss to mix and coat everything.
- Spread the bread out into a single layer making sure the cubes don't overlap.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, toss, and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
- The croutons should be golden brown and crunchy when done.
Serving Suggestions
Soups - The best way to enjoy these croutons is in soups! You can add them to any soup. Try them in these four soups:
Salad - Everyone knows Panzanella and classic Ceasar salad are great with croutons but you can add them to practically any salad for added crunch! Give them a try in these salads:
Storing
Store any leftover croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. There's no need to refrigerate them. If you have a vacuum-sealed container, I highly recommend you use it to store these croutons to make sure they stay extra crunchy.
I don't recommend freezing the croutons, they'll lose their crunch once defrosted.
FAQs
Yes, these croutons can be made with any kind of bread. The texture of the croutons will change based on what bread you use.
Make sure you bake them in a single layer and they don't overlap. Overlapping them would cause them to not crisp up properly. They should be crunchy and not at all soft or chewy when they come out of the oven. They need patience and low heat to dry out properly.
More Recipes That Use Sourdough Bread
If you're looking for fun new recipes to use up the rest of your sourdough, I've got you! Try the four recipes linked below! The tomato grilled cheese is perfect for the summer, especially with a good tomato soup. The goat cheese grilled cheese is best for fall and so good with crispy sage! I have a whole category for sandwiches you can browse for more ideas!
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Croutons
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These homemade Sourdough Croutons are extra crunchy, garlicky, and flavorful. They're great both in soups and salads. Easy to make and a great way to use up leftover bread!
Ingredients
- ½ sourdough loaf, diced (6-7 cups diced)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- The croutons should be golden brown and crunchy when done.
- Preheat your oven to 300F (150C).
- Dice your bread into about 1-inch cubes.
- Place bread cubes on a large, rimmed baking sheet. You can use parchment paper but it's not necessary.
- Drizzle the bread with olive oil and toss to coat well.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, and dried oregano.
- Toss to mix and coat everything.
- Spread the bread out into a single layer making sure the cubes don't overlap.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, toss, and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
- Enjoy the croutons on soup or in salad!
Notes
You can also use dried thyme, crushed dried rosemary, dried parsley, or italian seasoning if you don’t have oregano.
Add the croutons to any kind of soup or salad.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Allow to cool completely before closing the container with a tight-fitting lid.
Vanessa says
Extra crunchy! Loved the flavor too