I’ve been coveting stale bread like no tomorrow. NO ONE is to discard a single stale slice of anything in my household without my prior approval. Not when there are croutons and crostini to create.
While it may be forgotten in brown paper and plastic bags on the scullery bench, at the end of a busy week the evidence is clear. Aversion to crusts, broken slices, boredom of white or multi-grain, are all apparent valid reasons to abandon half eaten loaves, it seems.
Generations have valued bread as an essential part of a daily diet. Unfortunately ‘valued’ seems to be missing from our vocabulary as it seems in many households up and down the country, bread is allowed to get moldy without a second thought; it gets thrown to the birds, thrown down the gurgler or biffed into the rubbish.
I’m actually not here for a rant (today) but certainly I’ve loved repurposing bread as a Love Food Hate Waste challenge. I’ve made breadcrumbs (both fresh and baked) but I haven’t yet shared the utter ease of making croutons.
The rediscovery?
The simple art of Croutons
The origins of croutons are French – a sauteed or rebaked bread (be it a day old loaf or a baguette), often cubed and seasoned, used to texture and flavour salads, soups, stews or as a snack food (thanks Wiki). It reportedly dates back to 17th century France, when it was described as ‘little pieces of bread crust, served with drinks’ or a translation of that nature.
That doesn’t surprise me one bit. I made some tonight, not just to jazz up my Leek & Potato Soup, but because the growing bundle of stale bread packages in my fridge was becoming alarming. The result? Still warm from the over, croutons were being consumed by the handful as a snack even before dinner was served.
How to make
It’s so easy you’ll kick yourself. Croutons are simply a diced or torn piece of bread (1cm square, or to your liking), drizzled with olive oil then sprinkled with finely chopped fresh herbs.
Either freeze bread cubes ‘as is’ in a sealed bag ready to cook from freezer to oven when you need them; or bake at a low temperature (eg 150ºC) for 10-20 minutes or until crisp and golden. You may wish to check after 10 minutes and toss with more olive oil to ensure the flavour soaks through. Try garlic salt, paprika or other spices for colour and flavour.
When to use
Go all out. Croutons rock. Sprinkle the on salads for added texture (just before serving to enjoy their crunchiness), generously dollop on top of soups, or offer up in a bowl as a pre-dinner snack. A cheap and instant nibble, at no cost other than your time to bake them. When crispy, they will keep crunch for weeks in an airtight container (if you don’t eat them all before then).
Big brother Crostini
To be honest, there is nothing fancy about crostini with regards to making it. Repeat the above with LARGER slices of baguette (but brush both sides with oil) before baking. The same theory applies: thin slices, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and spices (or rubbed with garlic and basil) and you have a larger version of the crouton.
Crostini however, becomes the carrier for a huge range of nibbles. Anything you can put on a cracker, you can put on a crostini.
They make a perfect entertainers’ finger food. Enjoy cold topped with:
- pesto and crumbled feta
- as a bruschetta with garlic, fresh tomato and basil
- zucchini ribbon and garlic hummus
- soft cheese and sundried tomatoes
- or grilled with tuna mayo, spring onion and edam!
I’m loving stale bread. Bring it on. I haven’t done with you yet sunshine! For more things to do with bread leftovers check out my previous post.
