There is nothing better than Homemade Ciabatta Croutons. Whenever I make croutons, they’re usually made by cutting up a special Artisan bread bought from my local bakery. Ciabatta bread is my favorite, specifically, the Tuscan garlic loaf. Whole roasted garlic cloves are baked right into the bread.
If you love good bread and you’ve made your homemade croutons, then you know what I’m talking about.
These are a few of my recipes that I’ve incorporated Homemade Ciabatta Croutons. My updated Toscana Soup with Homemade Parmesan Croutons, French Onion Soup with Mini Meatballs, Panzanella Salad, and finally, my Sweet Italian Sausage, Mushroom, and Asparagus Strata.
In the future, I’ll be making a sweet bread pudding using another variety of Ciabatta bread. There are just so many recipes that start with great Homemade Ciabatta Croutons.
Let me show you two techniques I use when making croutons. One is the stovetop method, the other is the oven-bake method.
Prep Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yields: 6 cups of croutons
Equipment: 2 rimmed baking sheet pans (1/4 size), 1 (12-inch) sauté pan, chef’s knife, mini food processor, or Microplane, cutting board
Ingredients for the Stove Top Method:
6 cups of bread cubes, 1 1/2-inch size cubes (1 loaf of Tuscan Ciabatta garlic loaf, or plain Ciabatta bread)
2 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, fresh-ground
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly-ground
Ingredients for the Oven Bake Method:
6 cups of bread cubes, 1 1/2-inch size cubes (1 loaf of Tuscan Ciabatta garlic loaf, or plain Ciabatta)
1/4 cup of olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons of Kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons of black pepper, freshly-ground and divided
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly-ground
Instructions for the Stove Top Method:
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes in a single layer to the pan. Season with Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Toss all the bread cubes around so they absorb the butter and olive oil. Sauté for a couple of minutes without turning. Once golden brown on one side, toss them again until brown on all sides. This takes about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Instructions for the Oven Bake Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Start by evenly dividing the bread cubes out onto two rimmed baking sheet pans. Add olive oil, Kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper, and toss to evenly coat. Spread the bread cubes evenly into a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, turning them once halfway through the cooking process to make sure they brown evenly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
While the croutons are nice and hot, add the fresh chopped herbs and/or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Toss to combine.
There you have it, my Homemade Ciabatta Croutons.
Notes:
1) To see a few of my other recipes using my Homemade Ciabatta Croutons, click on any of the links below.
2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.
Homemade Ciabatta Croutons
Equipment
- 2 rimmed baking sheet pans (1/4 size)
- 1 saute pan 12-inch
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 mini food processor Substitute Microplane
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Stove Top Method:
- 6 cups bread cubes 1 1/2-inch size cubes (1 loaf of Tuscan Ciabatta garlic loaf, or plain Ciabatta bread)
- 2 tbps butter Unsalted
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground
- 2 tbsps Italian flat-leaf parsley Finely chopped
- 2 tbsps Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly-ground
Ingredients for the Oven Bake Method:
- 6 cups bread cubes 1 1/2-inch size cubes (1 loaf of Tuscan Ciabatta garlic loaf, or plain Ciabatta bread)
- 2 tbsps butter Unsalted
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground
- 2 tbsps Italian flat-leaf parsley Finely chopped
- 2 tbsps Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly-ground
Instructions
- Instructions for the Stove Top Method:Melt the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes in a single layer to the pan. Season with Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Toss all the bread cubes around so they absorb the butter and olive oil. Sauté for a couple of minutes without turning. Once golden brown on one side, toss them again until brown on all sides. This takes about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.Instructions for the Oven Bake Method:Preheat oven to 400°F.Start by evenly dividing the bread cubes out onto two rimmed baking sheet pans. Add olive oil, Kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper, and toss to evenly coat. Spread the bread cubes evenly into a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, turning them once halfway through the cooking process to make sure they brown evenly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.While the croutons are nice and hot, add the fresh chopped herbs and/or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Toss to combine.There you have it, my Homemade Ciabatta Croutons.
Notes
https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/12/09/soups-on/
https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/11/03/my-recipe-for-panzanella-salad-with-a-twist/
https://lindalouhamel.com/2015/07/29/my-tip-for-the-most-flavorful-chicken/
https://lindalouhamel.com/2015/12/14/roasted-acorn-squash-with-a-sausage-and-pear-stuffing/
https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/08/05/my-recipe-for-sausage-mushroom-and-spinach-strata/
https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/11/updated-tuscan-soup-with-parmesan-croutons/
https://lindalouhamel.com/2018/04/02/italian-sausage-and-mushroom-dressing/
