Homemade Sourdough Croutons Recipe {3 Easy Cooking Methods}
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Turn leftover sourdough bread into homemade sourdough croutons in just 15 minutes! These crispy, golden bites are perfect for topping salads, soups, and more. With only a few simple ingredients, this sourdough crouton recipe will help you create flavorful croutons in no time.
Experiment with herbs, garlic, or even Parmesan for endless tasty variations. Plus, this no-waste recipe helps you make the most of your day-old bread while adding crunch to your meals.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Simple to make:
Forget those dry store-bought croutons! With this easy sourdough crouton recipe, you’ll have tasty homemade ones in no time. It takes just 15 minutes to turn any day-old loaf of bread into the best croutons ever. And once you try them, you won’t go back.
No-waste recipe:
After putting all that work into a good loaf of homemade sourdough bread, there’s no way I’m letting any of it go to waste! Turning it into sourdough croutons is the easiest way to use up stale bread and make something delicious out of it.
Makes Everything Better
A salad with your own homemade croutons just tastes better. They’re crisp, buttery, and full of flavor. Sourdough croutons take any bowl to the next level.
Easy Ingredients:
All you need is a few simple ingredients to make this sourdough crouton recipe. Mix leftover bread, olive oil, and salt, or mix it up with different spices for extra flavorful croutons.
Ingredients You’ll Need
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Leftover Sourdough Bread – I usually cube sourdough bread or sandwich bread made with my own sourdough starter. I’m really into sourdough baking, so I always have a starter on hand, but any type of bread will do just fine too.
- Olive Oil – I personally love the flavor that olive oil brings to this recipe, but you can use melted butter or avocado oil.
- Salt – Any good crouton needs a touch of saltiness.
Flavored Croutons:
One bonus about making your own homemade sourdough croutons is all the flavor combinations you can try! This sourdough croutons recipe is so tasty with just olive oil and salt, but with a few other seasonings, you can add so much flavor to your salad.
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh herbs like fresh thyme, parsley, rosemary, thyme, or sage
- Dried herbs like dried parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, or Italian seasoning
- Chile powder or cumin
- Garlic salt, garlic powder, or fresh garlic
- Onion salt or onion powder
- Red pepper flakes for some heat
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How to Make Baked Sourdough Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- With a sharp serrated knife, slice 1/2 – 1-inch cubes of your favorite kind of bread. Set to the side.
- To a large bowl, add the extra-virgin olive oil and seasonings of choice. Mix until combined.
- Add the sourdough bread cubes into the bowl and mix with a large spoon until the cubes are fully coated.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place bread cubes on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. If you prefer fresh croutons with a little less crunch, bake for less time.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow the cool completely before storing.
Two Other Ways to Make Sourdough Croutons
Baked croutons are great, but who says you can’t grill or fry them too?
Grilled Sourdough Croutons
Do you grill often or have leftover grilled bread from a BBQ? You can easily turn that into sourdough croutons with a smoky flavor. Just brush your sourdough slices with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill for a few minutes on each side until they’re lightly charred.
If the center is still a little soft, like toast, leave the bread out to dry for a few hours or overnight. Once dried, cut the bread into cubes. These croutons are perfect in a salad with grilled veggies, fresh basil, scallions, and mozzarella.
Fried Sourdough Croutons
Do you love your croutons extra crispy? Tear your sourdough bread into chunks and fry them in hot olive oil in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat and cook until they’re golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
Once done, transfer the croutons to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then season with salt and pepper. You can reuse the oil by cooling it down and storing it in a glass bottle.
This method gives you light, crispy, and rich croutons. It’s perfect when you want that crunch without turning on the oven, especially when it’s sweltering outside.
How to Serve
Sourdough croutons are an easy way to bring extra crunch and flavor to your favorite salad recipe. Top a simple salad with these croutons and it’s that much better!
A crunchy crouton is also delicious on top of your favorite soups. Some of our family favorites to serve these homemade croutons include creamy soups like tomato soup, loaded potato, or cauliflower soup.
You could even use these sourdough croutons for recipes like sourdough stuffing, or crush them up to make sourdough breadcrumbs.
How to Store
Leftover croutons will last for 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container. I like to place mine either in a zip-top bag or a glass jar.
Sourdough croutons can also be frozen. Place them in the freezer in an air-tight container and store them for up to 2 months. Reheat frozen croutons in a 300-degree f oven until crispy.
FAQs
Any sourdough bread can be used for this crouton recipe. I’ve used all sorts of sourdough bread like my artisan loaf, roasted garlic rosemary sourdough, or sandwich bread. Stale sourdough ciabatta rolls, focaccia bread, or baguettes would also make delicious croutons.
This tasty recipe is perfect for fresh or dried herbs! Coat the croutons with the dried herbs prior to baking, while sprinkling fresh herbs on the croutons after baking.
It is important that your croutons are spaced out in a single layer when baking. This allows the heat to reach the croutons from all sides to make them nice and crispy. It is also crucial for the croutons to be completely cooled before storing them. If they are even a bit water, the steam from the croutons will create condensation, which can make sourdough croutons lose their crunch.
Yes, these croutons are totally vegan! Just grab some olive oil, stale sourdough bread (or any bread you have), and your favorite seasonings. No cheese needed. This basic crouton recipe works perfectly for anyone sticking to a plant-based diet.
Sourdough Crouton Recipe
Got leftover sourdough bread? Turn them into these delicious Sourdough Croutons! Crispy, crunchy golden nuggets go perfectly on top of fresh salads or warm bowls of soup. This sourdough crouton recipe only needs a few simple ingredients and 15 minutes to bake. Experiment with different flavor combinations for tasty and customizable sourdough croutons again and again.
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Ingredients
- 1 loaf of day-old sourdough bread
- 4 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp of salt
- additional seasonings*
Instructions
How to Make Sourdough Croutons
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Chop
2. With a sharp serrated knife, slice your favorite kind of bread into 1/2 - 1-inch cubes. Set to the side.
Mix
3. To a large bowl, add the extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and seasonings of choice. Mix until combined.
4. Add the sourdough bread cubes into the bowl and mix with a large spoon until the cubes are fully coated.
Bake
5. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Place bread cubes on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy and golden brown, stopping halfway through to give them a toss. If you prefer fresh croutons with a little less crunch and a softer center, bake for less time.
8. Remove the sheet pan from the oven.
9. Sourdough Croutons can be served immediately, but allow them to cool completely before storing.
Notes
- Substitute olive oil for melted butter or avocado oil.
- It is important that your croutons are spaced out in a single layer when baking. This allows the heat to reach the croutons from all sides to make them nice and crispy.
- Cool the croutons before storing them. If they are even a bit warm, the steam from the croutons will create condensation. This can make sourdough croutons lose their crunch and become soggy.
- Leftover croutons will last for 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container. I like to place mine either in a zip-top bag or a glass jar for later use.
- Sourdough croutons can also be frozen. Place them in the freezer in an air-tight container and store them for up to 2 months. Reheat frozen croutons in a 300-degree f oven until crispy.
Elevate your sourdough croutons with these flavor combinations! My favorite is Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese.
Additional Flavorings:
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh herbs like fresh thyme, parsley, rosemary, thyme, or sage
- Dried herbs like dried parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, or Italian seasoning
- Chile powder or cumin
- Garlic salt, garlic powder, or fresh garlic
- Onion salt or onion powder
- Red pepper flakes for some heat
