Garlic Herb Croutons

Why This Garlic Herb Croutons Works

In the bowl, the olive oil coats every side of the bread cubes. The minced garlic and dried herbs stick to the oily surface, so they stay on the bread instead of falling to the bottom of the pan. Because the bread is a bit old and dry, it soaks in some of the oil instead of turning soggy. That oil sinks into the little cracks and holes in the bread.

In the oven, steady heat dries the bread cubes out even more. Moisture inside the bread slowly leaves, so the centers become light and crisp instead of chewy. At the same time, the outside of the bread starts to brown. The oil lets the surface heat up faster, so the edges turn golden and crunchy. Tossing the bread halfway through keeps it from burning on one side and gives more even browning. After baking, cooling on the pan lets the croutons firm up, so they stay crunchy when added to salads or soups.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the croutons bake too long turns them from crisp to rock hard. The bread dries out all the way through and the edges darken fast, so they end up tough to bite and taste more burnt than toasty.

Using fresh, very soft bread instead of day-old bread often leads to croutons that never really crisp up. The cubes give off steam in the oven, so they stay a bit chewy in the center and can collapse instead of holding their shape.

Crowding the baking sheet so the cubes sit on top of each other keeps them from toasting evenly. The bread steams where the pieces touch, so some sides stay pale and soft while the exposed corners get too dark.

Skipping the toss halfway through baking leaves one side of each cube overdone and the other side underdone. The bottom can turn too dark and dry against the hot pan while the top stays lighter and a bit soft.