Homemade Sourdough Croutons Recipe
Learn how to make homemade sourdough croutons from leftover sourdough bread. These homemade croutons have the best flavor!
When you make sourdough bread regularly, you may find yourself with leftover bread. In addition to making breadcrumbs for use in recipes, sourdough croutons are a great way to use up any odds and ends of homemade bread.
And, this is such a delicious way to use up bread! Homemade croutons are great for dressing up a simple salad to go with dinner (especially paired with homemade ranch dressing!).
Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Croutons
These sourdough bread croutons are so delicious! Here are just a few of the reasons to love them.
First, they’re super easy to make! This is one of the easiest from-scratch recipes you can make.
Second, they are great for using up leftover bread. I seriously despise wasting food, and I avoid it all all costs. My favorite recipes are ones that help us make the best use of the odds and ends in our kitchen. Whenever you have sourdough bread leftover at the end of the day, plan to make some croutons to accompany a salad for the next dinner meal. You could also probably turn these into sourdough breadcrumbs to be used in a recipe.
Third, they can be made ahead. These keep for at least a week, and I’ve had homemade croutons last for up to two weeks before. Make up a batch of homemade dressing (like this big batch of homemade ranch dressing mix) and make some homemade croutons, and your salads will be so much tastier! These add so much crunch and flavor to plain salad.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have time to make sourdough croutons, cut your leftover bread into cubes and seal them in a plastic zipper bag. Put the bag of cubed bread in the freezer, and you can defrost them and make croutons whenever you have time!
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Supplies Needed for This Recipe
- Large mixing bowl
- Cutting board
- Glass measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Wooden spatula
Ingredients for Sourdough Croutons
Sourdough Bread: This recipe was designed with sourdough bread in mind. I like to use my easy sourdough artisan bread recipe, but you can use any type of sourdough bread. Or, a different type of bread can also be used, if desired. Bread that is at least a day old works best in this recipe. But you don’t have to use stale sourdough bread. Any artisan bread will work.
Olive Oil: This crouton recipe uses a combination of extra virgin olive oil and butter, and I love the flavor combination.
Butter: The melted butter adds richness to the recipe. I usually use unsalted butter, but you can also use salted butter.
Salt: You can use any type of salt in this recipe, but I prefer this sea salt.
Garlic Powder: Garlic powder adds extra garlic flavor to these garlic butter croutons.
Italian Seasoning: Other seasonings can be added in place of the Italian seasoning, but this is the default seasoning used in this recipe. It’s so perfect for adding the sourdough croutons to salads.
Black Pepper: Just a tiny amount of pepper is added to enhance the flavor.
Garlic: Fresh minced garlic takes these homemade croutons to the next level! However, you can leave out the fresh garlic if you don’t have it.
How to Make Sourdough Croutons
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut bread into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes. Put sourdough bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, and minced garlic. Drizzle over the bread cubes and toss together till evenly coated.
- Pour onto prepared baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 17-20 minutes. At the 10-minute mark, remove from the oven, and use a spatula to mix the croutons so they will bake more evenly.
- Remove when starting to become golden brown and crunchy. Cool completely before storing.
How to Store
Cool the croutons completely before storing in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks at room temperature. You can store them in either a glass jar or a plastic container.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the most frequently asked questions about this sourdough crouton recipe:
Can I use a different kind of bread?
Any kind of bread will work, but these seasonings were developed specifically for and taste delicious with sourdough. If you use a different kind of bread I’d use a kind of crusty/artisan bread, not a soft sandwich loaf bread (but really any kind of bread can be used).
Can I use store-bought bread?
Yes! You can use store-bought sourdough bread in place of homemade bread. But if you’re interested in learning how to make your own bread, here’s a tutorial for making a sourdough starter, and here’s my easy sourdough bread recipe.
What other seasonings can I add?
You can sprinkle on some parmesan cheese during cooking for added flavor. Or add seasonings like seasoned salt or fresh herbs (like rosemary, parsley, oregano, or thyme). There are so many options for enhancing this basic homemade crouton recipe! You can also substitute Herbs de Provence for the Italian seasoning.
What’s the best way to serve these sourdough bread croutons?
There are so many ways to enjoy these easy sourdough croutons! Add to any green salad, on top of soups like tomato soup (or other creamy soups), or even as the crunchy topping of a casserole.
How long do homemade croutons last?
I’ve had croutons last 2 weeks before, but they are freshest if you use them within a week. Do not put them in the fridge or the freezer or they’ll get soggy.
My croutons got soft after I stored them, what happened?
If you store them with any residual heat from baking, the moisture they release into the airtight container will make them soft. They have to be completely cooled before storing.
More Sourdough Recipes
- How to Make a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
- Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe (Perfect for Beginners)
- Easy Sourdough Crackers Recipe
- Overnight Sourdough Biscuits Recipe
- Sourdough English Muffins Recipe
Sourdough Croutons
Ingredients
- 6 cups sourdough bread cubed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut bread into 3/4 to 1 inch cubes. Put bread cubes in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, melted butter, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper, and minced garlic. Pour over the bread cubes and toss together till evenly coated.
- Pour croutons onto prepared baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 17-20 minutes. At the 10-minute mark, remove from the oven, and use a spatula to mix the croutons so they will bake more evenly.
- Remove when starting to become golden brown and crunchy.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature.
