Bread ends or heels are the most under-appreciated part of the whole loaf. For years before I crossed store-bought bread off the shopping list permanently I had begun to search for ways to use these last little bits of our loaves of store-bought bread. Now that I spend two days making our delicious sandwich bread I can’t stand the thought of just tossing those heels in the trash.
No matter if you’ve mastered the art of bread making or buy your loaves from your local grocer or bakery you’re not going to love this low-waste tip.
For the past 8-10 years I have been tucking my unused bread ends into a ziplock bag in the freezer. Once I’ve collected enough I take the whole bag out of the freezer and let it thaw for a few hours. Then I cut it into bite-sized pieces.
I fill a bowl with the bread pieces and then toss them with olive oil. Make sure every piece is well coated with the oil. This will ensure that the seasoning sticks and that every piece gets that signature crouton crunch that makes them so darn delicious!
Now it is time to season our future croutons. You can go as basic or extra as you’d like here. Most of the time I add salt and garlic powder, dried herbs make a great addition as well. In the past, I have used basil and oregano to add a little extra flavor. The possibilities are only as limited as your spice cabinet.
Once you are done flavoring, spread your future croutons out onto a cookie sheet (or two) and pop them in the oven at 350 degrees. I check my croutons every 10 minutes to test for doneness as well as to mix them around, making sure that they are baking evenly. It generally takes about 30 minutes but this will depend on the size of the batch. The goal is to get the croutons completely crunchy. Any moisture left in the bread will cause your croutons to get moldy in storage.
Once your croutons are done baking, allow them to cool and try to contain yourself from snacking on the entire batch before they ever get a chance to top a salad. Seriously these things are addicting! Store your freshly made and cooled croutons in an airtight container.
From here they can be stored in the pantry, fridge, or freezer. Experts say that they are only good for 3-5 days at room temperature, 1-2 weeks in the fridge, and many months in the freezer.
We generally store our croutons in the pantry or fridge depending on how quickly we plan to use them. For larger batches, we’ll freeze them for later use.
