Up Your Salad Game: Homemade Croutons

There’s bread, and then there’s good bread. A piece of sandwich bread from the grocery store is night and day from a fresh rustic loaf from a legitimate bakery. This is the bread I’m talking about. In order to make awesome homemade croutons, you need awesome bread. I’m not a big bread consumer in general. But like The Most Interesting Man says: I do not always eat bread, but when I do, it’s good bread. So go out there and get your self a loaf of damn good bread, and let’s make some salad magic.

Homemade Croutons

1/2 loaf amazing bread (rustic sourdough, French, brown country loaf, etc), cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic (optional)

Put cubed bread you’re not eating into plastic bag and freeze for future use. In a skillet heat olive oil until rippling. Add garlic if using, and stir briefly before adding in cubed bread. Let bread brown on all sides, 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool briefly on paper towels. Top pre-dressed salad with handful of croutons.

Let’s Bake Bread

My tradition of going to the Palisades Farmer’s Market for their delicious Belgian waffles continues.

Quin (my new roommate who is as obsessed with food as I am) agrees, these piping hot, doughy waffles are killer. After admiring gorgeous loaves of bread at various bakers stands, we decided to go home and bake some bread. Quin has a little more experience in the baking bread department, I followed her lead.
Microwave the milk, water, honey and butter until the temperature is around 120-130. Then add in the yeast.

Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients with mixer on low.

Let rise in a warm place, covered for about an hour.

Spread into a rectangle, then roll bread into a log.

Let rise more in the bread pan, before baking at 350 for about 40 minutes.

Ohh man fresh bread smells amazing.

This recipe is from Baking Illustrated The Practical Kitchen Companion for the Home Baker for America Sandwich Bread.