Large Garlic Croutons

Forget those dry, dusty croutons from a box. These are thick slabs of stale French bread brushed with garlic-infused olive oil and baked until golden and crunchy. They come out big enough to float on top of a bowl of soup or tear into rustic chunks for a Caesar salad.

Crushing the garlic with salt before whisking it into the oil is a classic technique. The salt acts as an abrasive that breaks the garlic into a paste, releasing all its oils directly into the olive oil. You get garlic flavor in every brush stroke instead of random chunks stuck to a few slices.

Pro Tips

• Stale bread is better than fresh here. Day-old French bread is drier, crisps up faster, and absorbs the garlic oil without going soggy.
• Brush both sides for maximum crunch, but go heavier on the top since that’s the presentation side.
• Watch them closely after the 12-minute mark. They go from golden to burnt fast at the edges.
• Store cooled croutons in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Re-crisp in a warm oven for 5 minutes if they soften.