Homemade Crispy Chewy Croutons? Yep you heard it right. These tasty cubes are my own creation and they are pretty amazing, if I do say so myself!

Homemade Crispy Chewy Croutons

Croutons are typically hard and crunchy, but these little nuggets add such a powerful punch to any salad. I think they are especially good on my West Coast Shrimp Louie Salad! When I cut them into cubes, I like to leave them a little bigger than the average crouton. This allows for the inside and outside to be completely different textures.

The bread makes the croutons

A good loaf of sourdough bread is the type I prefer when making my Homemade Crispy Chewy Croutons. Since I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, I LOVE sourdough bread. If you can’t find a loaf of that however, any fresh baked (preferably) Artisan loaf of french bread from your local grocery store will work.

Use a good serrated bread knife and cut the loaf into slices about 3/4″ thick. Then stack two or three slices and cut into strips about 3/4″ wide. Turn the bread slices and do the same in the opposite direction. When all of the bread is cubed, set aside.

There are a couple of choices for the next part. I like to do a mixture of olive oil and butter (the majority being olive oil), but you can certainly use only olive oil if you prefer.

Homemade Crispy Chewy Croutons

Ingredients:

Loaf of Sourdough or French Bread (Artisan is best)
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
6 Tablespoons Butter
3/4 Packet of Italian Seasoning Mix
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
3 tsp. Sugar

Directions:

In a large skillet add the olive oil and butter and blend over medium heat until the butter is melted. Reduce heat to low and add 3/4 of the packet of Italian Seasoning mix, the onion powder, and garlic powder. Mix well.

Work quickly

The bread is going to soak up the liquid in the pan pretty quickly so you’ll have to mix the bread in fast. Add the bread and using a large spatula, flip the bread cubes several times until all sides are coated evenly. Increase heat to medium – this will help the outside get crispy while keeping the inside chewy and soft. Drizzle more olive oil (and/or add more butter) over bread cubes if needed.

Toast the bread cubes, turning frequently, browning several sides. After 7 minutes or so, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the croutons and continue flipping them for another 5 minutes. Do a taste test and see if the flavor is right. Add more of the above ingredients if needed. Also check the texture. The outside should be crisp and light brown, and the inside should be soft. If they aren’t, then cook a little longer. Remember, you want them to be crispy and chewy! When done, set aside and let cool before putting on salad. Store in airtight container for up to 5 days.

These homemade croutons would also be tasty used in French Onion Soup. Add a handful of croutons on top, then sprinkle some Swiss cheese on top and broil in oven. Oh my – this would be amazing. I’m going to have to try this! I’ll be sure to report back after I do.