Croutons are one of the lightest and quick ways prepare something delicious for breakfast or tea. The products are simple, and besides, this is also an opportunity to use stale bread.
General principles for preparing croutons from white bread
The basic ingredients of croutons are bread, milk, eggs. And then, depending on desired result, salt or sugar, various spices and spices are added. The best choice for croutons is bread that was baked a couple of days ago, slightly dried out, and dense so that it does not become too soggy. It is cut into pieces, dipped in a mixture of eggs and milk, and then fried. In some recipes, the bread is first soaked in milk and only then dipped in beaten eggs. White bread croutons are also prepared in the oven with a delicious cheese crust, ham, tomatoes, and eggs. If you decorate sweet croutons with berries or pieces of fruit, sprinkle with powdered sugar and grated chocolate, you will get a wonderful dessert.
White bread croutons are prepared in many countries: the USA, Spain, France, England. The recipes are quite similar, but there are also differences. Thus, Spanish sweet croutons torrijas are soaked in milk with aromatic zest of orange, lemon or in red wine, and after frying, they are soaked in sugar or fruit syrup. In America, croutons are called “French toast”; they are prepared with vanilla and ground pepper, and served with a variety of sauces, such as maple syrup. The French themselves call this dish “lost bread”, since a dried baguette is, in fact, already lost and is only suitable for croutons. In Britain there is a recipe for Welsh toast, they are baked in the oven with cheddar cheese.
White bread croutons with ham and fried eggs
Delicious breakfast for lovers of scrambled eggs and hot sandwiches. The croutons are cooked in the oven and look impressive.
Ingredients
Four pieces of bread for toasting;
100 grams of cheese;
three eggs;
two tablespoons of milk;
two pieces of ham;
salt and pepper.
Cooking method
1. Make a round or square hole in two pieces of bread, leaving about a centimeter of “sides”. The other two pieces will be intact. We put the pieces together: the whole one at the bottom, with the hole at the top. Now we have a mold in which to place the ham and egg.
2. Mix one egg with milk, salt and pepper. Dip the prepared bread in this mixture. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Cut the ham into small cubes. Place a little bit into the opening of the bread pan. Then pour the carefully broken egg into it so that the yolk remains intact.
4. Grate the cheese and sprinkle it on the croutons.
5. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, temperature -200 degrees. The cheese should melt and acquire a golden color. Serve hot.
White bread croutons with egg and almonds
French recipe for croutons breaded with crushed almonds. Instead of milk, we use cream; vanilla and cinnamon will add aromatic notes.
Ingredients
Six pieces of baguette;
three eggs;
150 grams of finely chopped almonds;
120 ml cream;
a pinch of salt;
a teaspoon of cinnamon;
tablespoon butter;
vanillin or vanilla sugar;
powdered sugar.
Cooking method
1. Combine cream with eggs and stir. Season with cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
2. Place baguette pieces into this mixture and soak for five minutes.
3. Now roll the croutons in almonds and place them in a frying pan with vegetable oil. Fry until brown.
4. Sprinkle the finished croutons with powdered sugar. You can also add fruits or berries.
Spanish-style white bread croutons with milk and egg (torrijas)
For Spanish croutons, you definitely need sauce - that's half the success. Let's prepare it from orange juice and sugar. It is better if the juice is freshly squeezed.
Ingredients
Half a dried loaf;
half a liter of milk;
two eggs;
three tablespoons of sugar + another 100 grams for sauce;
two large oranges;
tablespoon honey;
one cinnamon stick;
bar of chocolate;
lemon peel.
Cooking method
1. Pour milk into a saucepan and heat it over moderate heat. Add sugar, peel removed from one lemon, and cinnamon. We continue to heat, but do not boil. The sugar needs to dissolve properly.
2. Remove the aromatic milk from the heat and leave for a few minutes to infuse.
3. Cut the bread into slices one and a half centimeters thick. Immerse in the milk mixture and let soak. The time depends on how dry the loaf is, about ten minutes.
4. Prepare the sauce. You need to squeeze the juice out of the oranges, we will need about 150 milliliters. Pour into a saucepan, add 100 grams of granulated sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Now add a spoonful of honey and cook a little more. As soon as the sauce begins to thicken, you can remove it from the heat and let it cool.
5. Beat the eggs, dip the pieces of bread in them and fry in vegetable oil until they become rosy and golden.
6. Place the chocolate bar in a water bath and melt it.
7. Soak the finished croutons with sauce, dip one side of each piece in chocolate. It turns out both tasty and beautiful.
White bread garlic croutons
A classic of the genre - croutons with cheese and garlic flavor. They can be cooked both in the oven and in a frying pan.
Ingredients
Half a loaf;
100 grams of cheese;
a pinch of ground black pepper;
two eggs;
three cloves of garlic.
Cooking method
1. Cut the loaf into pieces one centimeter thick. Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Three cheese on a grater.
2. Pour into the pan vegetable oil, heat it up, add coarsely chopped garlic. We will fry it for literally three to four minutes so that it imparts its aroma to the oil. Then remove the garlic from the pan.
3. Dip the pieces of bread into the egg mixture, fry on one side, turn over and spread grated cheese on the croutons. Fry on the other side, meanwhile the cheese should melt. Ready croutons can be sprinkled with finely chopped dill.
Welsh white bread toast
Traditionally, English cheddar cheese is used for these croutons. But it can be replaced with more affordable varieties; Maasdam or Gouda are suitable.
Ingredients
Dried white loaf;
250 grams of cheese;
two eggs;
half a stick of butter
a teaspoon of mustard;
ground paprika.
Cooking method
1. Cut the loaf into slices about a centimeter and a half thick. Place on a baking sheet and brown in the oven on both sides.
2. Beat the eggs, grate the cheese.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Spread the cheese, salt, add paprika and mustard.
4. Heat this mixture until it boils. Don't forget to stir. We wait until all the cheese has melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour in the eggs and mix quickly.
5. Spread the cheese mixture onto the loaf pieces. Now all that’s left is to bake the croutons in the oven. At 180 degrees, five minutes is enough, as soon as the cheese turns brown, you can take it out.
White bread toast with egg in white wine
This is an old English recipe. Simple but savory by soaking the bread in a mixture of wine and eggs.
Ingredients
Four pieces of bread;
a glass of white table wine;
one and a half tablespoons of sugar;
two eggs.
Cooking method
1. Beat the eggs, pour in white wine, season with granulated sugar and cinnamon.
2. Immerse the bread in this mixture for a few minutes. Then fry it in butter. Before serving, these croutons are decorated with ground cinnamon and sprinkled with sugar.
White bread croutons with milk, egg and banana
These croutons can be turned into a full-fledged dessert if you serve them with a scoop of ice cream and garnish with grated chocolate.
Ingredients
Eight pieces of bread for toasting;
two ripe bananas;
four eggs;
60 ml milk;
50 grams of grated cheese;
two teaspoons of honey.
Cooking method
1. Cut off the crusts of all pieces.
2. Mash bananas with a fork. Mix them with honey and cheese.
3. Beat eggs with milk.
4. Spread the filling among four pieces of bread, not too much so that it does not leak out and melt during frying. Cover the top with the remaining pieces of bread.
5. Dip the croutons into the egg-milk mixture. Fry over low heat for about three minutes on one side and the same amount on the other. The croutons should be golden and the cheese inside should be melted.
6. Sprinkle the finished croutons with powdered sugar; when serving, cut each one diagonally into two triangles.
White bread croutons with milk, egg and curd mass
You can take any curd mass - with vanilla, raisins, dried apricots or prunes. These croutons make a great breakfast.
Ingredients
One baguette;
a pack of curd mass;
a glass of milk;
two eggs;
half a packet of vanilla sugar;
powdered sugar.
Cooking method
1. Cut the baguette into pieces about a centimeter and a half thick.
2. Mix eggs with milk, salt, vanilla sugar.
3. Spread half the baguette pieces with the curd mixture and cover with the remaining pieces on top. The result is a kind of sandwich. Dip each one in the egg-milk mixture and fry in vegetable oil. Decorate with powdered sugar when serving.
White bread croutons - secrets and tricks
· Fried bread turns out quite greasy. To remove excess oil, you can place the prepared croutons on a paper napkin; it will absorb the fat.
· Semi-hard varieties are best suited for cheese croutons; they melt especially well when baked. Such cheeses include Poshekhonsky, Kostroma, Russian, Gouda, Dutch, and Edam.
· Soft and fresh white bread is not very suitable for croutons. It may get soggy in the egg-milk mixture. This bread should first be dried in the oven or toaster.
Even though the assortment of almost any store is replete with bright labels with ready-made croutons, the amount of flavor enhancers, preservatives and flavorings in them discourages any desire to diversify your dishes with such an additive. This is why we recommend that you stop at simple recipes homemade white bread, which will make an excellent pairing with soups and salads, and will also become a simple and aromatic snack that is always convenient to have on hand.
Sweet white bread croutons
Don't rush to get rid of stale sweet bun, because it can be baked a second time, adding sugar and a variety of spices, and then used to add textural variety to your favorite treats, such as sweet casseroles, oven-roasted fruit, or even morning oatmeal.
Ingredients:
- sweet bun or braid - 1 pc.;
- butter - 55 g;
- cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon;
- ground nutmeg, cloves - 1/4 each. spoons.
Preparation
Melt the butter and combine it with the ground spices used. If you use unsweetened bread as a base, you can also add a small amount of granulated sugar or honey to the melted butter. Cut the stale bread into cubes with a side of 1.5-2 cm, place the pieces on a baking sheet, pour in aromatic oil and stir. Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven at 175 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
White bread toasts in the oven
By analogy with sweet croutons, you can also prepare salty croutons, mixed with your favorite dried herbs and spices. When prepared, they can be served on their own or with sauces for a glass of foam, or used as an addition to salads and first courses.
Ingredients:
- bread - 450 g;
- vegetable oil - 190 ml;
- dried oregano, thyme and basil - 1 teaspoon each;
- dried onions and garlic - 1/2 teaspoon each.
Preparation
While the oven temperature reaches 165 degrees, cut the bread into cubes and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Combine vegetable oil with dried herbs, onion, garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Pour the flavored oil over the croutons and mix them thoroughly to distribute them evenly among the pieces of bread. Place the pan in the oven for 12-15 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
White bread croutons with garlic - recipe
Cheese is never superfluous, and it didn’t turn out to be superfluous in the crouton recipe, where it, steamed with garlic, creates an aromatic composition that can complement any of your dishes.
Ingredients:
- garlic cloves - 2 pcs.;
- a mixture of dried Provencal herbs - 2 teaspoons;
- olive oil - 115 ml;
- a loaf of white bread;
- grated sharp cheese - 45 g.
Preparation
Before making white bread croutons, cut the loaf into cubes and distribute the pieces on a baking sheet. In a mortar, grind the garlic cloves with a pinch of salt and herbs into a paste. Dilute the resulting mixture with olive oil and pour over the bread pieces. Combine everything with any grated hard cheese that has a pronounced taste and place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 160 degrees for 12 minutes.
Do you want to turn a piece of yesterday's bread into a complete breakfast? Then combine it with an egg and your favorite spices, then fry in butter and enjoy a hearty budget meal.
Ingredients:
Preparation
Cut the bread into thick slices. Beat eggs with cream, granulated sugar, nutmeg and vanilla. Dip the bread slices into the mixture and let them soak thoroughly. Leave the excess egg to drip off and then fry the croutons in butter until browned.
Step 1: cut the bread.
Cut the loaf as usual, into thin slices so that they are easily saturated with the egg mixture and are well fried inside and out.
You need to cut off the crusts from the resulting thin slices of bread so that the finished toast is tender and simply melts in your mouth.
If you are preparing croutons for children, it is better to cut whole pieces of loaf into two or three equal parts, so as not to frighten children with large portions.
Step 2: Prepare the egg mixture.
In a deep bowl, mix eggs, sugar and salt. Use a whisk or fork to beat the mixture until smooth. The sugar and salt should eventually dissolve completely, so mix everything until you achieve the desired result.
Step 3: prepare the croutons.
When the egg mixture is ready, dip the previously prepared pieces of bread into it one by one. Make sure each slice is thoroughly soaked.
Step 4: fry the croutons.
Heat a small amount of sunflower or other oil suitable for frying in a frying pan. Cook white bread croutons over medium heat until an appetizing brown crust forms on both sides. I usually don't turn the bread before it's browned on one side. Important: If your croutons burn a little on the outside, but do not have time to fry on the inside, you should reduce the heat even more.
Place well-done croutons on disposable paper towels and blot, getting rid of excess sunflower oil. That's all, the white bread croutons are completely ready and you can start serving.
Step 5: serve ready-made white bread croutons.
White bread croutons are good both hot and slightly cooled. You can brush them with butter or eat them straight. In any case, you will be pleased with the taste of aromatic and quite filling croutons. Brew yourself your favorite hot drink and start your meal.
Bon appetit!
The finished croutons can be sprinkled with grated cheese while they are still hot, so you will get a more satisfying and tasty dish.
White bread croutons can also be served with sweet toppings, for example, caramel or chocolate syrup, as well as various jams made from fruits and berries.
I don’t know a single beer lover who hasn’t heard of such a snack as black bread croutons with garlic and various sauces. This is one of the most inexpensive and favorite beer snacks. But not only with this drink can you enjoy eating them. Such delicious crispy croutons made from black or Borodino bread can also complement soup, for example, or some delicious salad.
Croutons go very tasty with potato salads or crab sticks. Have you ever tried eating with croutons? If not, then it’s in vain, on the one hand. On the other hand, you still have this pleasant discovery ahead of you.
Many have also tried crispy black bread croutons with garlic in various cafes and restaurants. They also like to prepare this simple appetizer, but usually it costs the same as several whole loaves of bread, and on a plate you get a couple of slices, cut into cubes.
You can’t deny yourself the pleasure of crunching on delicious crackers because of such a misfortune as an exorbitant price. I think this absolutely cannot be done, but you need to take the situation into your own hands and prepare real, well-fried garlic croutons yourself at home. And have a beer party, or maybe a hearty lunch with soup or salad.
Well, according to tradition, I will tell you about several very simple recipes, because even in such a matter as making croutons, there are different options.
Garlic croutons from Borodino bread, fried in oil in a frying pan
Borodinsky is a type of aromatic black bread with coriander or caraway seeds. It's a little sweeter than the classic one rye bread and with less noticeable acidity, more dense and moist. Dark brown in color and with a recognizable smell.
If you want to cook delicious croutons made from black bread, then try it with this bread. When fried, it is indescribably good. Various sour cream sauces with herbs are perfect for it, but fresh garlic will also be enough. It will turn out very delicious snack to beer.
You will need:
- Borodino bread - 1 loaf,
- garlic - 6-7 cloves,
- vegetable oil for frying,
- salt to taste.
Preparation:
Making garlic croutons from Borodino bread is not at all difficult. For this you will need about 15 minutes, no more.
Take a loaf of fresh or day-old bread. Cut off the rinds, as when fried they will brown and blacken more, and then be tougher than the crispy flesh.
Cut the crustless bread into sticks or slices of the size you like. You can make sticks of medium thickness, you can cut a flat piece into 4 parts, or you can cut it diagonally and get triangles.
Peel the garlic and squeeze it through a press; you can grate it on a fine grater. Reserve one or two cloves for frying.
Place the chopped garlic in a bowl or mortar and grind with a few pinches of salt. Pour a teaspoon of vegetable oil into this salty paste. You can take sunflower or olive oil. We will spread the finished croutons with this garlic oil, so choose your favorite flavor of oil.
Pour more vegetable oil, preferably refined, into a deep frying pan, add the reserved garlic, chopped large pieces and fry lightly until golden brown. Don't let it burn. As soon as it browns, fish out the pieces of garlic and remove. Only pure oil with the smell and taste of garlic should remain.
Place some of the croutons into the hot oil in a frying pan and fry on all sides until beautifully chocolate-colored and crispy. Be sure to turn it over.
Remove the finished croutons to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain off excess oil.
After this, spread each crouton with salt and grease with the garlic paste that you prepared at the beginning. Place the croutons on a plate shaped like a woodpile or well. It will be beautiful and very tasty!
Brown bread croutons just like in a restaurant - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside
The first time we fried the croutons until there was a loud crunch, but how to cook them if you want to have a crunch and leave a soft center. Eat little secret preparing such croutons. Try roasting them and you might become a real fan. For these croutons we will take a round loaf of classic rye bread, also called Darnitsky. It is light gray inside, brown outside and has a slight sourness, but at the same time we have all loved it since childhood.
You will need:
- loaf of rye bread - 1 piece,
- garlic - 5-6 cloves,
- dill, parsley and green onions- 2 branches each,
- vegetable oil for bread - 2-4 tablespoons,
- vegetable oil for frying,
- salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation:
Cook the croutons soft on the inside and with garlic paste on the outside.
Let's prepare garlic paste so that while we fry the bread, it will infuse and give maximum flavor. Place peeled garlic in a cup or flask of an immersion blender, lightly add salt and pepper. Add sprigs of greenery there; you can cut them into 2-3 parts so that they are not too large. Pour in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil and blend with a blender until you obtain an almost homogeneous paste. There may be pieces of herbs and garlic, but very small.
If it turns out too thick and does not grind well, then add a little oil. The final paste should resemble mayonnaise in thickness.
Now cut the round bread into large slices at least a centimeter thick. Do not use the humpbacks; it is better to eat them for lunch along with.
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Place the slices of bread in a frying pan and fry until golden brown on both sides. This usually takes no more than a minute. Don't let the bread turn black.
Place the finished croutons on a paper towel and lightly blot the frying oil. After that, take a butter knife and spread the hot croutons with the garlic paste that you prepared in advance. Spread the entire surface of the slice on one side.
Now take a sharp knife or bread saw and cut the slices into strips slightly diagonally. Arrange beautifully on a plate and serve with delicious sauce. They will crisp up on top but remain soft on the inside.
Bon appetit!
Brown bread croutons in the oven with chili pepper and cheese sauce - video
And this recipe is for those who like it hot, or rather spicier. As the name implies, here the croutons are suggested not to be fried in oil, but baked until crispy in the oven. This will make them less fatty, but still just as tasty and crispy, and maybe even tastier. Let's not get into an argument about which is better: in oil or in the oven, let's learn how to properly prepare and bake croutons and how to make an amazing cheddar cheese sauce.
Brown bread croutons with spices - cooked in the oven
Another type of black bread that can be found in the store is “Stolichny”. This is a type of rye-wheat bread, it is prepared simultaneously from two types of flour, but it looks rather black, so I will put it in this category. It tastes different from Darnitsky or Borodinsky, but you can also make excellent crackers from it.
By the way, if you want to make your own small crackers in cubes or strips, then Darnitsky or Stolichny bread is best suited for this. Borodinsky is denser and moister, and the crackers will turn out a bit harsh when fried.
Let's prepare small crackers in strips from black bread and spices to replace store-bought snack crackers. These will go well with beer, with soup, and will be delicious just to crunch. If you don't make it too spicy, then children can enjoy it a little, but just a little.
You will need:
- black bread - 1 loaf,
- vegetable oil - 50 ml,
- salt - 3 teaspoons,
- dried garlic - 1 teaspoon,
- hot or sweet red pepper - 0.5 teaspoon,
- aromatic spices (for example, suneli hops) - 1 teaspoon.
Preparation:
To make brown bread croutons similar to those sold in the store, cut the loaf into slices, and then each slice into thin strips. The bread can be any of your favorite varieties, if you don’t like Stolichny. The main thing is to make a thin straw with a side no larger than a centimeter.
Place the sliced bread in a heavy-duty plastic bag.
Mix spices in a separate bowl. For these croutons you will need different spices. Dried crushed garlic will add flavor without burning. Pepper will add heat and spiciness; you can omit it if you wish, especially if you don’t like it spicy. But the most important component- a fragrant set of spices for cooking various dishes. Very tasty if you add suneli hops. You can take a set for cooking meat or chicken. Spices are suitable for marinating shish kebab or grilled meat. Italian or Provençal herbs. You can be creative and mix the spices yourself if you are good at them.
Pour the mixed dry spices into a bag with pieces of bread, add vegetable oil there. Then tie the bag so that there is an air bubble inside and future crackers roll freely. Shake the bag well to mix everything.
Instead of a bag, you can use any container with a lid, pan or plastic container for storing food.
Do you know that vegetable oil is a solvent for spices. If you put spices in oil and stir, they will reveal their aroma and taste even more and transfer them to the dish.
Heat the oven to 140-150 degrees. Place the pieces of bread coated with spices on a baking sheet in one layer and bake for 20-30 minutes. From time to time, lightly stir the future crackers and taste them for crispness. Ready-made black bread croutons should be firm, golden brown and break with a crunch.
Serve cooled as an appetizer with various dishes just for the mood.
Rye croutons with garlic for soup or salad - cooking in the oven
Do you prepare salads with croutons? Do you eat soup with crispy croutons? Is it really necessary to use only store-bought croutons for this? Of course not. Let's prepare delicious crispy crouton cubes with garlic together for soups and salads.
By the way, you can make croutons from white bread using the same recipe, just reduce the baking time of the croutons in the oven, since wheat bread more airy and dries faster.
Let's prepare crackers with garlic, but keep in mind that by adding spices to them, we will get a separate snack.
You will need:
- black bread - 1 loaf,
- vegetable oil - 5 tablespoons,
- salt - 1 teaspoon,
- garlic - 4-5 cloves,
- spices to taste.
Preparation:
To make brown bread croutons fragrant, start by preparing aromatic garlic butter. To do this, pour into a small cup required quantity oil (you can take sunflower or olive), squeeze the garlic into it. If you don’t have a special crusher, use a fine grater.
Stir the oil with garlic, add salt. You can add aromatic spices if desired.
Cut the bread into small cubes. Then place them in a large bowl or pan. Now, stirring constantly, gradually add the oil and garlic. Once everything is poured in, mix everything well so that every piece of bread is coated with butter.
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and place bread cubes on it. Place in the oven to dry. Stir the crackers from time to time and check readiness. Drying until golden brown and crisp may take 20 to 40 minutes. This will depend on the type of bread. Borodino will take longer to dry, but white will take 10 minutes.
Feel free to serve ready-made black bread croutons with hot soup, add to a salad, or crunch them like this, but with great pleasure.