How To 'Tear' Your Way To Better, More Delicious Croutons

Let's be honest: Croutons are the best part of a salad. Sure, we eat salad for its nutritional value; it often contains plenty of vegetables. But is there any greater salad joy than indulging in that perfectly fluffy-yet-crispy, well-seasoned crouton?

Beyond tasting delicious, croutons add a new type of texture to a salad. When you have a lettuce base, plus mostly vegetables, adding in that protein element along with some fresh croutons enhances not only a salad's nutritional profile but also its texture, which helps us enjoy it more.

Homemade croutons certainly take a bit more time and effort than purchasing a package of the pre-made variety, but if you have the time and energy to make your own, you might never look back. With that said, there are certain methods that will yield the best crouton results. And to start, you should tear your bread rather than chop it.

They say cooking is an art; think of tearing croutons as abstract art. Using a knife to create perfectly chopped, symmetrical croutons is one option, but it's visually boring and actually could be preventing the best possible flavor. Tearing the bread means that each crouton will have a different edge. And while cooking, those edges will crisp up at different rates, creating a completely different overall texture than if every crouton looked (and cooked) the same way.

"Hand-torn croutons are especially delicious because they expose all those nooks and crannies that you want," Quang Nguyen, who is the executive chef of Brooklyn's Cool World restaurant, told Food & Wine. Nguyen adds that the finished croutons are all unique in shape and "super crunchy and crispy on the outside, and still nice and chewy in the middle." With torn croutons, every bite will be a little bit different, enhancing the salad's overall profile. "Salt Fat Acid Heat" author Samin Nosrat is also a fan of the method.

If you've never made croutons at home, now is the time to give it a try. Purchase a hearty loaf of bread, such as sourdough or Italian bread. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, instead of slicing the bread into pieces, simply tear it into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Feel free to vary the sizes of the croutons as desired. Add the bread to a bowl as you tear it, and toss the pieces with just enough olive oil to lightly coat each piece. Season the bread with sea salt and a bit of black pepper, along with other seasonings of your choosing (a bit of garlic powder, dried oregano, or onion powder would work well).

Bake the croutons for around 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After 10 minutes, check the bread, and toast it further if desired. You can also broil it on high for 1-2 minutes after the 15 minutes of baking is up; this will certainly crisp up the edges, just watch the bread carefully to make sure it doesn't burn. After removing the bread from the oven, let it cool for up to 30 minutes.

Out of olive oil? Melted butter unsurprisingly also makes for supremely flavorful toast. If you don't plan to use the croutons right away, just add a paper towel to an airtight container, and keep the croutons at room temperature; they will stay fresh for up to 14 days.