Can I make croutons out of regular bread?

[QueenB]

I want to make croutons for a salad tonight, and all I have is regular sliced white loaf bread. Can I make croutons out of this and what is the best way to go about doing it?

I've made them with bigger loaves of italian bread, but never with regular sliced white and didn't know if there was any difference in the way I would go about this.

Thanks!

[MysticYoYo]

A place I once worked for had the best croutons I had ever tasted; crunchy and golden and seasoned. I asked what brand they were and found out that our head line cook (there 30+ years) always made them from our leftover/stale bread.

MAN they were good!

[chef chicklet]

try this again.
Tear the bread for rustic or cut add 3 T olive oil to a bowl, season with garlic powder, salt and pepper/ Toss about 3 cups of bread around in the seasoned oil. Add a little more making sure its coated.
Line a heavy cookie sheet with tin foil for easy clean up and to protect the non stick from the spatula, and as they brown in the oven at 350 I flip them. Keep close by, or they will burn on you. These make great crunchy croutons. I especially love large ones for French Onion soup.

[hondo77]

What I do with my croutons to avoid burning is cook them at 250 for "a while", flip and again cook for "a while". Then I turn the oven off and leave them in all night. Wake up to crunchy croutons! Bag 'em and you're all set.

The temperature is so low that "a while" can be over 30 minutes.

[chef chicklet]

I'm sure they are good and dry, thanks, I'll monitor my heat better!
Gosh I am so impatient at times!

[missfunkysoul]

That's what I do too. They come out just as crispy and flavorful when tossed in oil and baked, as opposed to taking the extra step of sauteeing the cubes beforehand, IMO. I bake them at 300ish.

All of my leftover homemade bread gets this treatment, and it's a wonder if they stick around long enough to make it on to a salad or into a soup... they're a tasty snack as-is!

[hondo77]

Yeah, my croutons are my son's favorite snack. If we're taking a long trip I pack some so he has something to nibble.

[chef chicklet]

Croissants also make wonderful croutons, light but still crunchy. LOL! You're so right, if they make it to the intended dish is a miracle, and there are never any sitting around until the next day!

[wildfire]

I just tried that. It worked really well.

[chef chicklet]

Good!
Yes, I do it this way because I'm too lazy to stand and sautee them!

[QueenB]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it!

[yamalam]

This weekend I had some old bagels and english muffins left over from a work breakfast and they make good croutons too. I think bread+fat=always good.

[dolores]

QueenB, I've always toasted the sliced bread first, then cubed it, then sauteed it.

Always comes out just fine. I sprinkle on a little sugar too, but hey that's just me.

[Pampatz]

I make croutons out of sandwich bread frequently. Dice up the bread and put in an oven-proof skillet. Sprinkle with olive oil. Start on the stove top to get the pan hot and the bread started toasting. I then transfer to a 325 degree oven and bake until crunchy all the way through. I add sea salt and pepper after they come out of the oven.

[guerrilagourmet]

That oven trick is a great idea. I usually just saute the cubes, but when I use regular white bread they sometimes end up burned on the outside and pap in the middle.

[murano]

I have. I saute the bread cubes (including the crusts) in a little butter or olive oil and until they are light brown and finish by tossing them in chopped fresh herbs, S&P.