What to do with those crunchy, all crust bits of bread that nobody wants? what to do? Fear not my waste conscious friend! I have the solution.
Traditionally croutons were made from stale bread so why not continue the tradition and keep from tossing perfectly good food? Whether its the end of the bread that nobody wants or that half loaf that's a been sitting just a little too long we can still turn it into something delicious. All were doing is pushing it's staleness to the max and ending up with fresh and crispy bread cubes!
This is going to be a little less of a recipe and a little more just directions to experiment with. The amounts will all depend on how much bread you have. So instead of trying to guess measurements that would be easy to use I'm going to give you directions and suggestions to play around with.
CROUTONS
Ingredients:
Stale bread (cubed, be careful when cutting especially if its on the hard side)
Oil ( I suggest olive but anything will work)
Herbs and Spices (Suggestions below, but go WILD)
Salt and Pepper
I'll give you an example by telling you the amounts I used but this will vary because you may be using half a loaf while I've been saving bread ends for months!
Probably about 4 cups of bread cubes, maybe more. Somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 cup oil. About 3 tsp dried herbs. about 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.
Directions:
Cube your bread. Any size will do really. If you go small reduce you cooking time.
Mix together oil and spices, fresh garlic is also a nice addition. Feel free to experiment with fresh herbs but I think this is one case where dried is a better option.
** 
pro tip ** A super fun option here would also be to use an infused oil, I don't have a recipe for this posted yet but it will come
Toss your bread cubes in the oil mixture and spread in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400 for 5 to 8 minutes, mix them around and pop them back in for 2 to 3 minutes. You're looking for a nice golden brown colour.
Let cool and use in salads and soups!
So the traditional herb mix for this would of course be French or Italian Herbs. Herb de Provence (marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lavender) is a great option. The herbs I went with in my correspondences below are oregano, marjoram, rosemary and thyme as these are traditionally french herbs BUT you could get extremely fun with this because you're making your own. That's got to be the best part about scratch cooking; you can make whatever your heart desires. Maybe you're making an Asian inspired salad and want to add a little crunch? Maybe you want a side salad to go with your tacos?
Here's some quick suggestions to get those creative juices flowing:
Sesame oil. Ground ginger, garlic and cloves. (Or Chinese 5 spice!)
Chili infused oil. Garlic, Oregano and cumin.
Olive oil. Lemon zest, thyme and dill.
Let me know what fun flavour combinations you try out!
To the metaphysical!
I don't have a whole lot to say about this recipe. To me this speaks more to the environmentally conscious part of me (which I think is pretty witchy on its own) but of course you can always use herbs and spices that correspond to what your intentions are.
The only thing that popped out to me that you could use croutons for specifically is reinvigorating the intention you placed in the loaf if it's your homemade bread. Think about it and let me know if you have an idea that pertains to baking croutons!
The more I research herbs the more I realize that they’re super good for you. Many of them have anti bacterial and/or anti fungal properties! I’m not going to list all of them below but I think it's worth looking into if it piques your interest.
Oregano - Venus. Air. Aphrodite. Feminine
Happiness, tranquility, luck, health, protection and letting go of a loved one. It can also be used in spells to deepen existing love.
Natural antihistamine. For those with hives, or other allergy problems, try drinking a cup of tea made from equal parts oregano, tarragon, basil, chamomile, and fennel daily. If you have hay fever, leave out the chamomile. Drink this with a meal.
Marjoram - there ends up being a lot of confusion between oregano and marjoram so pay close attention if you happen to do your own research
Mercury. Venus. Air. Feminine.
Love (specifically harmony and communication as well as divining your future spouse,) gaining knowledge, money, protection, health, soothing action on the nervous system.
Rosemary - the universal herb, can stand in for any intention
Sun. Fire. Air.
cleansing, strength, protection, invigoration, virtue, memory.
In hedge-witchery, Rosemary is used as a garden-friendly substitute for Frankincense.
Thyme -
Feminine. Water. Venus. Freya. Aphrodite. Ares.
Strength, courage, staying power and positivity, faerie offerings, spring festivals for beginning anew, achieving goals, keeping a positive attitude.
Short and Gritty
Ingredients:
Stale bread (cubed, be careful when cutting especially if its on the hard side)
Oil ( I suggest olive but anything will work)
Herbs and Spices (Suggestions above)Salt and Pepper
Directions:
1. Cube your bread
2. Mix herbs and spices with oil
3. Toss cubes in oil mixture
4. Spread on lined baking sheet in one layer
5. Bale at 400 for about 8 minutes, keeping an eye on it
6. Flip and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes
7. you're looking for a golden brown colour
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