Description

Bread Croutons are any type of bread which is cubed and then toasted, browned or dried in the oven. Commonly used breads used to make bread croutons are white bread, brown bread, whole wheat bread, French baguette, focaccia bread, garlic bread etc. In few places, it may also be deep fried. Slices of bread are usually brushed with little oil or a flavoured butter like garlic butter, herb butter etc. They are then cut into even sized cubes and then placed in a pre heated oven till it dries up.

Bread croutons can be plain or flavoured as per recipe requirements. Minced onions, shallots, garlic, thyme, rosemary, mixed herbs, cayenne pepper etc are common flavourings used in bread croutons.

They are available in food stores. However, they can be prepared easily at home too. To make bread croutons at home, follow this easy recipe:

· Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine herbs with olive oil and brush on both sides of each bread slice.
· Stack all the slices together and cut into cubes of your choice.
· Spread the cubes on a baking tray and bake till dry and crisp. This may take around 30 minutes or 45 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the cubes.
· Cool completely and store in air tight containers. Try and use within a week.

How to select

If purchasing branded bread croutons, check for the brand, manufacturing date, expiry date and packaging. If making bread croutons at home, you can use bread that is a day old. It is not necessary that bread is fresh to make croutons.

Culinary Use

· Bread croutons are used mainly as a garnish in soups. Soups like Cream of tomato soup etc use and bread croutons for garnish. Ensure that you add the croutons to the soup just before service, otherwise they will get soggy. Flavoured bread croutons end up adding more flavour and aroma to the already existing soup.
· Bread croutons are also used in salads etc. Caesar salad is a classic example. To make Caesar salad, combine romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, black pepper etc. It is a common salad found in buffets etc.
· Bread croutons, if in excess, can also be ground into bread crumbs and used as a coating agent.

How to store

Store bread croutons in air tight containers away from humidity and moisture. They are best stored up to one week.

Health Benefits

The calories in bread croutons will differ according to the quality or variety of bread used to make them.