Why It Works
- Infusing the oil with garlic and herbs before tossing it with the bread cubes gives the croutons extra flavor and keeps the aromatics from burning and becoming bitter.
- Using crusty bread like ciabatta, baguette, or sourdough produces extra crisp croutons with satisfying crunch.
- Stirring the croutons occasionally as they toast in the oven results in evenly golden-brown pieces.
I always know a recipe I’m developing is a success if I see my husband lingering at the kitchen counter sneaking bites when he thinks I’m not looking. (This is especially true if I have already made several different versions of the same dish—the winner is always the one my husband returns to over and over.) In this case, it’s garlic and herb croutons, which I think of as smaller, crispier versions of garlic bread. Croutons are a great way to use up stale bread you may have, and they’re easy to prepare. They bring a savory crunch to salads and soups, and are also delicious on their own as a snack—my husband keeps them in a bowl on his desk and eats them like popcorn.
To add maximum garlic and woodsy herb flavor to the croutons, I use the same method Kenji employs for his best-ever roasted potatoes: I heat the fresh garlic, rosemary, and thyme in olive oil until the garlic just begins to brown, then I strain the solids out and use the infused oil to coat the croutons. You get all the flavor of the aromatics without any risk of them burning during the toasting process, which can give the croutons an unpleasant bitterness. When the croutons are done, I reincorporate the garlic and herbs, tossing to ensure the croutons are evenly coated with the fragrant aromatics.
As in my recipe for plain croutons, I recommend using a crusty loaf of bread like sourdough, ciabatta, or baguette, which become satisfyingly crisp when turned into croutons. While sandwich bread and brioche are great for other applications, in my tests I found that their subtle sweetness didn’t work very well with the savory flavors I wanted in my croutons. But feel free to use whatever you have on hand—with sweeter loaves like brioche or milk bread, you might just have to adjust for seasoning. No matter what kind of bread you use, the croutons will still be delicious, and you may very well find yourself eating them by the handful.
