Garlicky Butter Croutons

  • Room temperature: about 1–2 weeks

  • Freezer: about 2–3 months for best quality

Ingredients

  • 4 cups baguette cubes, about ¾-inch

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tbsp melted butter

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • ½ tsp kosher salt

  • ¼ tsp black pepper

  • ½ tsp dried parsley or Italian seasoning, optional

  • 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan, optional

Extra-garlicky version

Use:

  • 1½ tsp garlic powder

  • plus ¼ tsp onion powder

I would not use fresh garlic if longest storage is the priority.

Method

Heat oven to 300°F.

Put the bread cubes in a large bowl.

Mix together:

  • olive oil

  • melted butter

  • garlic powder

  • salt

  • pepper

  • herbs, if using

Drizzle over the bread and toss very thoroughly.

Add Parmesan, if using, and toss again.

Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan.

Bake 25–35 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so, until the croutons are:

  • deeply dry

  • crisp all the way through

  • lightly golden

The goal here is dryness more than browning.

Let them cool completely before storing. Seriously completely. Any residual warmth trapped in the container creates condensation, which is the enemy.

How long they last

If they’re baked very dry and stored airtight:

  • Room temperature: about 1–2 weeks

  • Freezer: about 2–3 months for best quality

I’d freeze most of the batch if you want them around for a long time.

Re-crisp from frozen

No need to thaw.

Spread frozen croutons on a sheet pan and bake at 325°F for 8–12 minutes.

Let them cool for a couple minutes and they’ll crisp up even more.

If they’re merely a little stale-soft from pantry storage, 325°F for 5–8 minutes should revive them nicely.

And with your 16 oz baguette, once you reserve the soup slices, you should still have enough bread left for a pretty substantial crouton stash. 🥖🧄