Making homemade croutons - need help

Gold Member Joined: Dec 24 2009 Posts: 2433

I am cleaning out my freezer and have TONS of odds and ends of bread. I would normally make challah kugel, but its a motley assortment of bread and I would prefer to make homemeade croutons.

Please I need a recipe and also storage suggestions so it will stay a while.

I would prefer to not put it back in my freezer but will if I have no other choice.

Thank you!
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Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20485

We just went through this in the Israeli section and I was informed that homemade croutons made with bread need a hamotzi and may be a problem if using on Shabbat in soup.
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Silver Member Joined: Oct 24 2010 Posts: 992

This recipe is for 15 slices of bread so if you have more, just double.
Defrost the bread, remove crusts and cut into cubes.
Melt 1/4 cup margarine and brush all over bread cubes, on all sides.
Sprinkle cubes with 2 tsp. garlic salt.
Arrange cubes on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until browned. Let cool. Store croutons in a air tight container or plastic ziploc bag. Serve in soups or salads.

Senior Member Joined: Oct 14 2010 Posts: 212

I do the same as lollygirl, with a few variations:
I use the crusts
I use oil (part olive oil) instead of marg. and just toss the cubes with it and spices, instead of brushing.
I add oregano in addition to salt & garlic
I bake at low for longer time (45 min. or so) mixing from time to time.

I would add, if your challa is sweet - I'm not sure it would work so well.

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48139

Gold Member Joined: Dec 24 2009 Posts: 2433

We don't use them in soup. Mostly I want for salads.

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2006 Posts: 2593

I do mine this way:

Cut or tear bread into pieces (I like some ragged edges). Cut some garlic cloves in half. Put them in a saucepan with olive oil. Cook on medium-low till the garlic is golden brown (this will take a while). You can make more garlic oil than you need, and save the rest--the garlic oil can be reused for other things.

For baked croutons: Toss the bread with garlic oil, and bake at 350.

For fried croutons: Put the oil in a skillet, and cook the bread pieces on medium. I like mine crispy on the outside and still soft in the middle. If you like them crunchy all the way through, keep the heat a little lower so the outside doesn't burn before they cook through. They absorb more oil if you fry them but come out crunchier.

You can infuse the oil with other flavors, if you like. As for sweetness: The best croutons I ever had were made with brioche, so I would imagine challah would work perfectly!

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

We (Lubavitch) do not say hamotzi on bread croutons in salad as far as I've asked.
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Gold Member Joined: Dec 24 2009 Posts: 2433

Nylon - garlic in olive oil should not be saved, its a big risk for botulism I believe. I will look up the link.

You should really make the croutons fresh. Only keep them in a covered container or sealed bag for up to 2-3 days.
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Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18276

I cube them, put in a pan, drizzle olive oil, seasoned salt, and garlic powder, and mix.
Bake at 400, shake it after 5 minutes and watch it carefully....they can go from not ready to burnt quickly.
Made them for Shabbos salad, and they're delicious, but it's really only feasible for hamotzi meals. (I also make them for French Onion soup when we have rolls or garlic bread for the meal.)

Another idea is to use them as stuffing.
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Gold Member Joined: Dec 24 2009 Posts: 2433

Here's a link from the canadian cdc:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/garlic-ail-eng.php

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48139

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2006 Posts: 2593

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

Doesn't matter. As far as I've asked, it has to do with ikar and tafel, which part of the food is the main part and which is secondary. The bread croutons are tafel to the salad so it only needs ha'adama.

Yeah, it felt weird the first few times but that's how the Alter Rebbe paskens (I believe in the siddur, which may be different than the SA- long story here).

Moderator Joined: Dec 18 2008 Posts: 3611

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

I have to check our crouton container next time I buy one (just threw it out this morning) but I'm pretty sure ours says on it: baked, not fried.

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48139

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

I'm really fine with others doing things differently than me and me doing things differently than others.