Learn how to make croutons from scratch to serve with soups, salads and more!

If you've got leftover bread, why not make croutons?

Besides french toast, it's the perfect recipe to use with leftover sourdough bread.

Croutons that you buy in the store can often be too hard and heavily seasoned.

With this recipe, you can adjust the seasonings to your liking and then bake them until they are just right for YOU.

Bake them long enough to be as crunchy or soft as you prefer.

Homemade croutons can be made in under 30 minutes and are delicious on top of roasted butternut squash soup or a fresh green salad.

Whether it's soup season or salad season, if you've got bread, you can make croutons!

What you need

Let's go over what you'll need to make these delicious little morsels!

• bread - Leftover or day old bread is perfect for making croutons. ANY type of bread will work. We love using honey wheat sourdough sandwich bread, country loaf sourdough bread or even pumpernickel. Keep in mind that the drier your bread is, the less time it will take to bake and vice versa.
• olive oil - Our favorite fat to use is extra virgin olive oil, but melted butter or melted coconut oil can be used instead. Just choose which works best for you.
• seasonings - Here's where you can get creative. For a basic crouton recipe we've included salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasonings. Change the seasonings according to what you are serving the croutons with. Most of the time we only use salt and pepper.

How to make it

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice the bread into ¾" pieces and place them into a mixing bowl. Toss the bread with the olive oil and seasonings. Spread them in an even layer on the baking sheet.
3. Bake until crispy and golden brown. Make sure to toss them halfway through the baking time. Baking time varies depending on how dried out the bread is.

How store and freeze

Homemade croutons will last in an air-tight container for 2-5 days. The croutons will continue to dry out and harden the longer they sit.

The softer they are after baking, the longer they will last in the container.

They can be frozen in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

Ways to use homemade croutons

• breadcrumbs: Can I make breadcrumbs from croutons? Yes! Just place them in a blender or food processor and pulse until they are a fine consistency.
• salads: These crunchy croutons are perfect with your summer salad greens.
• soups: Top your favorite soups for added texture. We love them over homemade tomato soup.