Crescent City Croutons Recipes

HOMEMADE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
• Spread seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes.

CRESCENT CITY CROUTONS

Steps:

• Cut French bread lengthwise as if for a long sandwich. Then cut the bread lengthwise with two or three cuts from the top to the bottom. Then cut the bread across to produce cubes of bread about 3/4 of an inch thick.
• Place the cubed bread in a large bowl that slopes to a small bottom. This will direct excess oil and seasonings towards the bottom of the bowl. Add the bread to the bowl and all of the seasonings. Toss gently for several minutes, it is important to insure that the seasonings are distributed evenly and that the oil is completely absorbed by the bread.
• Arrange the croutons in a single layer on a 1/2 sheet baking or a jellyroll pan.
• Preheat oven to 350F, place the baking sheet in the oven, then turn off the oven immediately. Bake the croutons for 90 minutes, do not open oven during that time.
• Allow the croutons to cool, place in a shallow serving bowl and serve with salads.

TORN CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. For more teeth-friendly croutons, remove the crusts from the bread, then cut the loaf into inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into inch-wide strips. Working over a large bowl, tear each strip into inch-size pieces. Alternatively, you can tear croutons directly off the loaf, as long as you get somewhat evenly sized pieces.
• Toss croutons with olive oil to coat them evenly, then spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Use a second sheet as needed to prevent crowding, which will entrap steam and keep the croutons from browning.
• Toast croutons for about 18 to 22 minutes, checking them after 8 minutes. Rotate the pans, switch their oven positions, and use a metal spatula to turn and rotate the croutons so that they brown evenly. Once they begin to brown, check them every few minutes, continuing to turn and rotate. Some croutons might be done when others still need a few more minutes of baking, so remove them from the tray and let the rest finish cooking. Bake the croutons until they're golden brown and crunchy on the outside, with just a tiny bit of chew on the inside.
• Taste a crouton and adjust the seasoning with a light sprinkling of salt if needed. Let croutons cool in a single layer on the baking sheet. Use immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To refresh stale croutons, bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 400 degrees.