Crispy croutons made from stale bread are a must-have companion to many classic Czech soups such as pea, lentil, or garlic soup. If you love soups, this simple and quick recipe for homemade croutons is for you!
About this Recipe
Czechs prepare croutons (chlebové krutonky) from sliced old bread. The best way to cook homemade croutons is to bake them in the oven or fry them in a pan with a piece of butter until golden brown.
Ingredients
- Stale rye bread; roll or baguette; ideally 2 to 3 days old. Use any leftover bread you have at home - croutons are also a great way to avoid wasting stale bread. They taste great when made from classic white rolls as well as whole/rye bread, or French baguette. Be careful with toast bread, it's quite soft and if you add a handful of the croutons to the hot soup, they will dissolve immediately.
- Unsalted butter
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
Making Homemade Croutons
STEP 1: Cut the 2 to 3-day old bread into cubes of about ½ inch (1,5 cm) in diameter.
STEP 2: Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and place the bread cubes in it.
STEP 3: Stir briefly and reduce heat to low when cubes begin to turn golden. Fry the croutons until crispy on all sides, turning so they don't burn.
Serving
Add the croutons to the soup you've already prepared on the table. Don't do it beforehand, as they tend to draw liquid out of the soup right away! It usually doesn't take long for them to become soggy.
The good idea is to put the croutons on the table separately in a bowl so that everyone can serve themselves to their liking.
Useful Tips
- Croutons can also be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 °F (150° C), melt the butter on a baking sheet, add the cut croutons and stir. Bake until golden brown, turning the croutons occasionally.
- Let the cubed bread dry on a baking sheet if you don't want to heat the pan or oven. This may take a few days, but you'll have a ready supply the next time you make soup.
- Store leftover croutons in a sealed container, so they don't get wet and moldy. If fried in butter, they will be good for a shorter time, about a week. Air-dried, you can use them longer, but check them regularly.
More delicious recipes
- Lettuce salad – with buttermilk dressing
- Pork patties – Czech vepřenky
- Czech rye bread
These bread croutons are great for soups. My tip: Browse the category with Czech soups to choose your favorite.
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Bread Croutons for Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 slice stale rye bread (or baguette, roll) 2-3 days old
- ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Cut the 2 to 3-day old 2 slice stale rye bread into cubes of about ½ inch (1,5 cm).
- Melt ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter in a pan over medium heat and place the bread cubes in it.
- Stir briefly and reduce heat to low when cubes begin to turn golden. Fry the croutons until crispy on all sides, turning so they don't burn.
Notes
- SERVING: Add the croutons to the soup just before serving. Don't do it beforehand, as they tend to absorb the liquid quickly and become soggy.
- A good idea is to put the croutons in a separate bowl on the table so that everyone can serve themselves to their liking.
- These croutons can also be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Melt the butter on a baking sheet, add the cut croutons, and stir. Bake until golden brown, turning the croutons occasionally.
- Let the cubed bread dry on a baking sheet if you don't want to heat the pan or oven. This may take a few days, but you'll have a ready supply of croutons the next time you make soup.
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