Sourdough Croutons + Breadcrumbs
Sourdough croutons and breadcrumbs are one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to make sure none of your homemade bread goes to waste. With just a few simple steps, you can turn leftover sourdough into crispy, golden croutons or flavorful breadcrumbs that elevate everyday meals. Fresh, preservative-free, and full of real flavor, this is a must-have staple for any sourdough kitchen.
Whether you’re topping salads, adding crunch to soups, or stocking your pantry with homemade breadcrumbs, this recipe is as practical as it is delicious. It’s incredibly easy to make and uses ingredients you already have on hand, making it the perfect go-to for reducing waste while getting the most out of every loaf.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Sourdough Croutons + Breadcrumbs
I think these are one of those pantry staples that gives you the confidence to start swapping other items in your kitchen out. By making these, you realize how easy it is so make those simple swaps and how much more delicious they are when they are homemade.
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Loaf- that extra, stale, or over proofed sourdough loaf that you otherwise wouldn’t be eating.
Olive oil – good quality olive oil, or avocado oil.
Italian Seasoning – if you don’t want seasoned breadcrumbs, then just use a good quality oil with some salt and pepper.
👩🍳 How to Make Sourdough Croutons + Breadcrumbs
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
Dice up your old sourdough bread into 1/2-inch pieces and spread evenly over a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning.
Bake for 1 hour, shaking the baking sheet halfway through to ensure that they cook evenly. When they are done cooking, you can serve immediately as croutons on top of soup or salad.
If you want to make breadcrumbs, let the bread cool slightly, transfer into a blender and blend for 20 – 30 seconds until it resembles a wet sand consistency.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- If you want croutons AND breadcrumbs, when the bread is done baking, separate half for your soup or salad blend the other half for breadcrumbs. It should get you 3-4 servings of croutons and one serving of breadcrumbs.
- Good quality olive oil helps the flavor go a long way.
- Save the leftover breadcrumbs or croutons in a Ziplock bag or sealed mason jar and store in the fridge.
🗒 Substitutions
You can make croutons any flavor you want with the seasonings. You can add chili powder if you want them a little spicy or just top them with parsley if you want them mild but pretty.
🗒 Best served with
- Soup
- Salad
- Breadcrumbs – mac and cheese topping
- Breadcrumbs – Chicken parm coating
- Breadcrumbs – meatloaf binding
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Save the leftover breadcrumbs or croutons by transferring them to Ziplock bag or sealed mason jar and store in the fridge for one week.
🤔 Common Questions
You can use any kind of leftover bread for breadcrumbs because it gets blended down. But use sandwich bread, or even bagels for the croutons if you don’t have an artisan loaf.
Sourdough Croutons and Breadcrumbs
Equipment
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1 bread knife
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1 Blender for breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread stale
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 – 2 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
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Take your sourdough bread, with a sharp serrated bread knife, dice into ½inch pieces. Spread those pieces into an even layer on the baking sheet.
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Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the whole surface. Give the bread a light toss so everything is coated in the oil and seasoning.
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Bake for 45 minutes -1 hour, giving the bread a toss halfway through so that they cook evenly.
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When they are done cooking, let them cool slightly before using them as a topping for a salad or use immediately on top of soup.
FOR BREADCRUMBS
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If your making breadcrumbs, let the bread cool slightly before adding to a blender. Blend for 20 – 30 seconds so all the pieces are broken down into fine crumbs that resemble wet sand.
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Use as a coating or topping for your favorite dish.
