After making the yummy pumpernickel bread for Friendsgiving, I was left with a big bread bowl. The leftovers were about two pounds (900+ grams) of pumpernickel bread! There was simply no way we were going to eat all of that before it went stale. So, per the idea I had when I was writing up the notes for next time, I decided to try my hand at turning this delicious bread into pumpernickel croutons.
the Recipe
I took inspiration from a couple of other blog posts on the matter (specifically, Baked by Rachel and Five Heart Home). Both used Italian bread instead of pumpernickel and both used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Both also show an optional parmesan crust but I opted to ignore that as it would make the croutons more perishable.
the Ingredients
The whole purpose of this recipe was to use up the remaining pumpernickel bread. That part was pretty easy. All of my other ingredients were in the pantry.
I should mention that I’m a bit of an addict when it comes to olive oils, vinegars, and spices. You might have noticed some of the bottles lining the walls in other pictures on this site. I have a sizable collection.
I used the Garlic Olive Oil from Kalamazoo Olive company for this recipe. It’s a local shop to me and they ship all over the place. Their oils are absolutely delicious. My boyfriend is completely hooked on their Tuscan Herb olive oil for his morning eggs. In fact, the only reason I didn’t use that one for this recipe is that we’re running low and he will be sad if there isn’t any for tomorrow’s breakfast.
The other local shop I frequent for specialty ingredients is Savory Spice Shop. If ever I cannot find an herb or spice or I want the best premixed something (like the Ras El-Hanout I recently used on some green beans), this is the place to find it. Many of the most acclaimed restaurants in town also get their spices here. If you’re looking for fresh, delicious flavors, call Paul.
the Process
the Prep
First step was to cube up the leftover bread. As I mentioned, there was a lot left over. I took the opportunity to diminish the supply so that it would fit on a baking sheet (yup – that’s totally the reason…) and use up some of the leftover spinach dip while I was at it. The cubed bread pretty much filled my largest salad/mixing bowl.
I melted the butter in the microwave. No need to make another pot dirty. Then mixed in all the other ingredients except the salt. If I’d had an extra hand to pour the oil/butter mixture over while I tossed the bread and turned the bowl, I’d have used it. Instead, I drizzled a little at a time, then stirred the bread. Drizzle. Stir. Drizzle. Stir. You get the picture.
It’s a good thing I ate some of the bread or it wouldn’t have all fit on my sheet pan! I did what I could to spread them into a single layer then sprinkled them with salt.
the Bake
My oven was being a pain tonight and not really coming up to temp. I routinely set my oven about 30F higher than the intended baking temperature because it runs really low. Tonight, when I set the temperature to 380F, it beeped that it had preheated at 300F. This was tremendously unhelpful. It will usually, eventually, get up to temp sometime well after the preheat beep occurs. Not so much tonight. It hovered around 325F the whole time. It’s fine. I can improvise.
I baked these croutons at whatever the oven decided to be for 40 minutes total, taking them out every 10 minutes to stir and check for crunchiness.
the Finished Pumpernickel Croutons
The pumpernickel croutons came out savory and scrumptious. The pumpernickel flavor, largely provided by the caraway seeds, comes through well without contrasting with the garlic and herbs.
The bread did shrink up a little from the release of excess moisture. I could tell that they were giving up that moisture by the amount of steam hitting my glasses each time I went to take them out of the oven. It left a crunchier, yet still soft in the middle, crouton without it feeling oily or sodden.
my Notes for Next Time
- More garlic and more salt. I did not have garlic powder to hand, having run out a couple of days ago. These would benefit from the use of regular garlic powder or some fresh garlic rather than garlic salt. Plus more salt in the mix to help balance the pumpernickel flavor.
- Bake for longer. The pumpernickel croutons are still a little chewy, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s a bit surprising given how long the original bake for the bread was and that it was supposed to be pretty dry. To get more crunch out of the croutons, I’d bake them low and slower again.
Pumpernickel Garlic Herb Croutons
Equipment
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
- 10 cups pumpernickel bread slightly stale and cubed
- 3 Tbsp olive oil garlic infused or Tuscan herb, if you have it
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2 tsp garlic salt
- .5 tsp dried basil
- .5 tsp dried oregano
- .5 tsp black pepper
- .25 tsp onion powder
- .5 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F / 175C
- Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper
- Place cuped bread in a large bowl
- Whisk together all remaining ingredients in a small bowl
- While continually tossing the bread cubes, drizzle the herb mixture over top. Be sure to keep tossing to get good coverage.
- Arrange the coated bread on the sheet pan in a single layer
- Sprinkle salt over the bread
- Bake 30-40 minutes, tossing/stirring every 10 minutes or so