Garlic infused olive oil is the key to these beautifully crispy and golden brown croutons.
Homemade Croutons
The Absolute Best. Perfect. World's Best. Awesome. I always smile when I see that in a recipe title, because while it may be a bit presumptuous, sometimes we really do think that our whatever-recipe is the best of the best, don't we?Well... while you may or may not agree with me, these croutons are the absolute best I've ever eaten and I swear, as a bonafide bread junkie, I could make a meal of them alone. The infusion of the garlic in the oil is the key I think and it makes a world of difference, whether you are just tossing these with a good ole fresh garden salad, or a yummy panzanella salad. Enjoy.
Recipe: The Absolute Best Homemade Croutons
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 5 min |Inactive time: 30 min | Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
Ingedients
Instructions
- 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
- About 6 cups of day old French bread, cut into cubes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle the kosher salt over the chopped garlic and paste it by dragging a chef's knife through the garlic to mash and incorporate the salt. Add the mashed garlic to the olive oil, stir with a fork, and infuse for 30 minutes. Strain the infused oil into a large bowl, but reserve the garlic, if desired, to add to the salad later. Whisk in the parsley, add the cubed French bread to the oil and toss to coat.
Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, stirring once or twice. Set aside to cool. Store leftover croutons at room temperature, in a zipper storage bag or other airtight container.
Variation: Use leftover homemade cornbread or make a fresh batch in a pan and allow it to go stale. Cut into squares, place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Toss with the seasoned oil and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until croutons are toasted.
To Air Fry: Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F. Prepare as above and air fry for 3 minutes. Toss and return to fryer in 2 minutes until the desired crispness is reached.
Tip:When it's too hot to heat up the oven for croutons, toast your bread on the grill instead!
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
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©Deep South Dish
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