Garlic Croutons

I am still so behind on posting recipes that I've made in months past and I'm not sure I'll ever get around to posting them all. I also realized that I don't post some of the smaller things I make. I've been making homemade garlic croutons now for several months and I just realized today that I have never posted the method I use. I've been making homemade bread every week now since the end of November and have made several batches of these croutons to use up the last inch or so of a loaf that we may have leftover at the end of the week. I also make breadcrumbs regularly with that leftover inch of the loaf... I just do them unseasoned and store them in a container in the freezer.

I decided to use a recipe/method that I found on Baking Bites the first time I made croutons and I've used this ever since. (Although, I may try out a new method this week from Cooking Bread to see how they compare...) I never make croutons with a 1/2 loaf of bread, so I just adjust the recipe below for my quantities/taste. And I use whatever bread I made that week - and they've all made great croutons.

I'll try and take a picture next time I make them if I think about it.

Homemade Garlic Croutons

1/2 loaf french bread (approx.)
1-2 cloves garlic, sliced in half
olive oil or melted butter
salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice the french bread into slices no more than 1/2-inch thick. Rub each slice with the cut side of your garlic. Brush lightly with butter, if desired. Cut the bread into cubes and place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.

Spritz with olive oil if you have not yet rubbed the bread with butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until croutons are crisp and lightly browned. If croutons are not browning evenly on all sides, turn over after 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet before adding to a salad.