Homemade Croutons - 4 ingredients! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

FAQs

Why are my homemade croutons soggy? ›

They should not be chewy when they come out of the oven. Bake croutons in a single layer on the baking sheet to crisp up the bread, rather than steaming it. Why are my homemade croutons soggy? It could be that you stored your croutons before they were fully cooled.

Crowding the pan.

Pile the bread cubes on top of each other and they won't have enough space to crisp up and brown. Instead, make sure they're in a even layer.

How long do croutons last? The expected shelf-life for homemade croutons is about two weeks. Moisture encourages mold, so make sure your croutons are completely dehydrated during the bake and let cool completely at room temperature before storing them away in an airtight container.

The best is to store them air tight and prevent any moisture from coming in. Moisture is the main enemy of croutons, making them lose their sogginess. If they do become a little soft, heat them again in a pan to crucnh them back up.

To refresh stale croutons, bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 400 degrees.

You want to make sure the butter has melted and seeped into the bread a little bit. If you don't like your bread too crunchy, remove it from the oven a little but earlier. If you're a crunchy garlic bread fan like me, you want to leave it in the oven until the edges of the bread turn golden brown.

Keep crispy stuff and cheesy stuff off

Since a salad is typically a high-moisture dish, it's best to keep anything crispy or cheesy off until serving. Crispy items such as croutons or fried wontons will become soggy and cheese will become soft.

If the centers have any moisture, it will result in a not-great, chewy crouton.) Put the DRY bread cubes in a bowl big enough that you can toss them around freely. In your microwave, briefly heat the butter and olive oil until it's just melted, but not too hot.

Commercially packaged croutons, due to their preservatives and packaging, can last significantly longer. They can often be stored at room temperature for several months without any noticeable degradation in texture or flavor.

What are Olive Garden croutons made of? ›

Our croutons are made with Romano cheese, seasoned with garlic, Italian herbs & spices, and baked to a delicious golden brown.

Caesar salad has nothing to do with the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. It was the twentieth-century innovation of Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini, who made the original salad for a group of Hollywood actors.

We all know what it is: chopped romaine lettuce and garlicky croutons, tossed in a creamy dressing made with eggs, olive oil, lemon, Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, and anchovies.

Let me explain: Most croutons are crunchy through and through, but these are designed to be crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle–far better for munching out of hand (or as a complement to tender salad leaves) than the hard, desiccated store-bought kind.