The Best Croutons

Steve Hartz is a professional baker for restaurants and bakeries in Northern California. He makes croutons with our Preserved Meyer Lemon for his customers, and we love him for it!  We bet you'll love these croutons even more. 

Need

1-pound loaf artisan seeded country bread, cut into bite-size pieces

¾ cup olive oil

Fresh garlic, grated, plus a few smaller whole cloves

1 TBS Cumin Garlic Preserved Meyer Lemon. Not a fan of garlic? Try our Rosemary Preserved Meyer Lemon for woodsy, herbaceous flavor notes.

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Do

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil with the freshly grated garlic, whole garlic cloves and If & When. Add the bread pieces and toss well to coat.

Spread the croutons onto baking sheets in a single layer. Season generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and toss the croutons on the sheet. Season again with another round of salt and pepper and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes before packing into paper baker bags.

 

Recipe and photograph by Steve Hartz, @Steve.Hartz