Seasoned Croutons in a Skillet

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients from the list. You can use any bread for croutons, depending on what you're making them for. You can vary the spices too, tailoring them to taste and creating a new flavor each time.

2. Step 2:

   

   It's no problem if the bread isn't very soft — in fact, day-old bread is even better, since it crumbles less as you cut it. I used a day-old white loaf; the croutons come out airier and crispier that way, perfect when you're in the mood for something crunchy. Cut the bread into cubes about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm).

3. Step 3:

   

   Pour vegetable oil into a bowl (you can swap in olive oil or another oil you like) and add the spices: ground black pepper, salt, ground coriander, and sweet paprika. I added a pinch of dried basil, which gave the croutons a pleasant aroma and flavor. Feel free to change up the spice mix.

4. Step 4:

   

   Stir the spices into the oil so the seasoning's aroma opens up fully. It's best not to add garlic to the spice mix, because it will burn quickly as the croutons fry and leave them with an unpleasant bitterness.

5. Step 5:

   

   But to still get that wonderful garlic aroma in the finished croutons, peel the garlic cloves and slice them thin. Pour vegetable oil into the skillet and heat it up. Fry the garlic slices in the oil until they turn translucent and release their aroma into it. Then lift out the garlic — you won't need it anymore.

6. Step 6:

   

   In that garlic-infused oil, fry the bread cubes you've already tossed with the spices. Toast the croutons over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula so they brown evenly and don't scorch.

7. Step 7:

   

   On average, toasting the croutons takes about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how much bread you're using. Turn off the heat and let the croutons cool in the pan — they'll crisp up as they do. Serve the croutons and enjoy!