Garlic Herb Sourdough Croutons
Crunchy, golden cubes of day-old sourdough tossed in garlicky olive oil and herbs, then baked until crisp outside with a slightly chewy tang inside. Perfect for salads, soups, and snacking.
- Prep
- 12 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 47 min
- Makes
- About 5 cups (6 servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Use bread that is at least 1 day old and slightly dry; fresh bread turns gummy rather than crisp. If your loaf is fresh, cube it and leave it out on a tray for 2–3 hours.
- Position an oven rack in the center and preheat to 375°F (190°C).
- Mince the garlic very finely so it flavors the oil without burning in the oven.
- Have two large rimmed baking sheets ready so the cubes sit in a single, uncrowded layer.
Preheat the ovenOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position an oven rack in the center and preheat to 375°F (190°C).
- Have two large rimmed baking sheets ready.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 375°F (190°C).
Cube the bread
- Using a serrated knife, cut the sourdough into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes, leaving the crust on.
- Aim for similar sizes so they brown evenly.
- Place the cubes in a large mixing bowl.
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Ready when: About 6 cups of evenly sized cubes.
Tip: Tear off and discard any very large air-pocket crumbs only if they are thin; they burn quickly.
Make the garlic oil
- In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the minced garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes so the herbs soften and flavor the oil.
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Ready when: Oil looks speckled with herbs and smells fragrant.
Toss the cubes
- Drizzle the oil mixture over the bread cubes.
- Toss with your hands or a spatula for about 1 minute, scraping the bowl to catch garlic, until every cube is lightly coated with no pools of oil at the bottom.
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Ready when: Cubes look evenly glossy and slightly darker, not soggy.
Tip: Don't add extra oil; too much makes croutons greasy instead of crisp.
Spread on sheets
- Divide the cubes between the two baking sheets and spread them in a single layer with a little space between each cube.
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Ready when: No cubes overlap or are piled up.
Tip: Crowding traps steam and keeps the croutons soft.
Bake and stirOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pans, stir the cubes and swap the pans' positions (or bake one at a time on the center rack), then bake 8–10 minutes more.
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Ready when: Cubes are deep golden brown, smell toasty, and feel hard when pressed; a cut-open cube is dry inside.
Tip: Check at 15 minutes total; the small cubes and edges can go from golden to burnt quickly.
Add the cheese
- If using Parmesan, sprinkle it over the hot croutons right after they come out of the oven and toss once or twice so it clings to the residual oil.
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Ready when: Cheese looks lightly melted and clinging to the cubes.
Cool completely
- Leave the croutons on the baking sheets, spread out, for 10 minutes.
- They will crisp further as they cool.
- Break apart any that are stuck together.
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Ready when: Croutons are fully cool to the touch and crunch loudly when bitten.
Tip: Don't bag or jar them while warm; trapped steam makes them soft.
Good to know
Tips
- Cut cubes uniformly so they finish baking at the same time.
- Sourdough's open crumb crisps quickly; check early on your first batch since ovens vary.
- For softer-centered croutons, cut larger 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes and bake 3–5 minutes less.
- Season lightly: the croutons will go on salty dressings and cheeses.
Make ahead
Cube the bread up to 1 day ahead and leave uncovered on a tray to dry. Baked croutons can be made up to 5 days ahead.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: store completely cooled in an airtight container or jar up to 5 days. Freezer: freeze in a zip-top bag up to 3 months. To refresh soft or frozen croutons, bake on a sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes. Avoid refrigerating, which softens them.
Substitutions
- dried oregano → 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme. Use fresh herbs if you like; chop finely and expect slightly faster browning on the herb bits.
- extra-virgin olive oil → melted unsalted butter. Gives a richer flavor; use the same 60 ml (4 tablespoons) and watch for faster browning.
- garlic cloves → ¾ teaspoon garlic powder. Won't burn, so it's a good choice if you worry about bitter garlic.
- Parmesan cheese → Pecorino Romano. Saltier and sharper; use slightly less if you're salt-sensitive.
