How to Make Croutons (Gluten-Free and Allergen-Free, of Course)

It never occurred to me to make my own croutons. Before my family started eating gluten-free and allergen-free, if we needed croutons it was easy enough to buy them pre-made. But I’ve been making a lot of salads lately, and the crouton just seemed… missing.

Having made some baguettes last week, I had a piece remaining that either had to be eaten or thrown out. I was making salad for dinner. (Here’s where the light bulb goes off.)

I should make croutons with that leftover bread!

It was super simple. You can start with any “safe” bread – store bought or homemade, and I am told that this works best with bread that is about to go stale.

Simply cut the bread into cubes. It doesn’t matter how big the cubes are, just try to make them all roughly the same size. Spread them on a cookie sheet. Place them on the second shelf, under the broiler. After about 2-3 minutes (depending on the size of your croutons and how fast your broiler broils) turn them over, and broil for another 1-2 minutes. Your croutons should be lightly browned, slightly crunchy, and ready for your salad!