How to Make Homemade Sourdough Croutons (Easy)

Today I will be sharing how to make these homemade sourdough croutons, one of the most delicious and easiest ways to use up those leftover sourdough loaves on your counter. 

One of the first things I noticed after I began making homemade sourdough bread and any other sort of bread, was how much leftover bread I didn’t count on having. When we think of baking delicious bread, we figure it will be eaten the same day, no problem. However, if you have just two people in your home, like me, or you bake bread often enough, there’s always a fresh loaf to enjoy.

Naturally, no one goes for the old sourdough bread when they can have same-day baked bread. That makes sense, right? I mean I get it, nothing beats fresh bread straight from the oven. But I will say that if you have a little trick up your sleeve, ie. making homemade leftover sourdough croutons, then you don’t have a problem getting people to eat up those last bits of sourdough.

These homemade sourdough croutons are so delicious and take just minutes to make. They are great to top on salads of course and perfect served with creamy soups as a fresh bread alternative. Let me also say, don’t let the word crouton limit you to salads and soups. Oh no, these are delicious to dunk in broths, to snack on alone, and create meals with them like Miss Ina Garten’s Lemon Chicken with Croutons.

Recipes to Serve with Croutons

• Creamy Vegetable Soup
• Easy Roasted Vegetable Gazpacho
• Grilled Vegetable Salad with Salmon

Once you make homemade sourdough croutons or any homemade croutons for that matter, there is no going back. These are so simple to make and they are far superior to those overpriced store-bought croutons found in the salad section. I personally think the best way to make them is on the stove-top but oven baked works nicely too. Below I have instructions for both.

Looking for even more ways to use up leftover sourdough bread? Check out these Leftover Sourdough Recipes.

Homemade Sourdough Croutons Are…

• Golden crisp and delicious
• Easy to make
• A great way to use up those sourdough loaves or stale bread on your counter
• Perfect for soups, snacks, salads, and more
• Easily adaptable to taste preferences
• An excellent way to reduce food waste

Ingredients

Bread- We will be using up leftover sourdough loaves but you can also use fresh slices of sourdough bread or any other loaf of bread you have on hand.

Oil- I suggest using olive oil as it gives wonderfully golden results to these croutons along with a great taste but avocado oil works great too as do other similar oils. Use what you have on hand.

Spices- I love to use sea salt or kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper for these homemade sourdough croutons but feel free to experiment with garlic salt, onion powders, or dried herbs to name a few ideas.

What You Will Need To Make Them

5 cups cubed Leftover sourdough bread

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Tools

Cast Iron Skillet or Baking Sheet

Directions

On the Stove Top: Begin by cutting the bread into 1 inch cubes. Heat a cast iron skillet and liberally pour in olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the pan is heated, add the cubed bread and toss the cubes into the oil. Salt and pepper the bread cubes liberally. Allow them to cook until golden before turning them over. Give them a few turns in the skillet to ensure they are all crispy golden brown. When ready, remove from heat and enjoy.

In the Oven: Place the cubed bread into a large bowl and liberally pour olive oil. Sprinkle well with salt and cracked black pepper. Use a large spoon or your hands, to toss the bread cubes around to ensure they are all coated with the oil and spices. Bake at 350℉ for about 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Cooking Notes

• I like to use my cast iron skillet to get a nice golden brown crispness but you can also toss them in the oil, salt, and pepper then pop them into a 350℉ oven for about 15-20 minutes.
• You can season these any way you like. For more flavorful croutons try adding garlic powder, onion powder, or Italians seasoning. My favorite is standard salt and pepper.

Tips

• ​Use a serrated knife.
• If using a sheet pan, lay a piece of parchment paper down for easy clean up.
• Cooking the croutons in a single layer helps them be uniformly golden
• Be sure to use enough oil, stale sourdough bread is dry and without the oil, the croutons won’t get that gold crispness we love so much about croutons.
• Homemade sourdough croutons are best served fresh but they do keep well. I store mine in a swing-top jar at room temperature.

How to Store Croutons

• I like to use a flip top jar with a good seal to keep leftover croutons fresh. A zip-top bag also works well.
• Homemade sourdough croutons will keep for up to a week when stored in an airtight container
• They need to be completely cool before storing

To Freeze Croutons

Yes, you can freeze homemade sourdough croutons. To do so, allow the croutons to cool completely then pack them in an air-tight container. Make sure to remove any excess air and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. To make them crispy after thawing, heat them in a 350℉ oven for 5-8 minutes or until completely warm and crisp.

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