Herby Einkorn Croutons

Crispy, buttery, and garlicky! These herby einkorn croutons are great for punching up salads and soups. We especially love them in this Asparagus Vellutata (Asparagus Soup). The einkorn loaf used in this recipe is from our favorite time-saving Beginner Einkorn Bread recipe, but you can use any einkorn loaf you prefer. We also love these croutons made with Sourdough Einkorn Bread!

Instructions

Make the bread:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the water and the yeast until dissolved and creamy. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Add the flour to the bowl and sprinkle the salt on top. Using a stiff spatula, mix the dough until the flour is absorbed. The dough will come together quickly and will be too wet to knead by hand. Do not add extra flour.
3. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan.
5. Mix the dough to deflate the rise. Transfer the bread dough to the prepared loaf pan, pressing down on the dough to prevent air pockets. Use a wet spatula or a bowl scraper to smooth out the top of the loaf.
6. Cover the pan tightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
7. Bake for 40 minutes until the loaf just begins to turn golden on top. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out the loaf onto a cooling rack. Let the loaf cool for 2 hours before slicing.

Make the Croutons:

1. Preheat an oven to 375°F.
2. Cut the cooled loaf into ½-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss until the bread is evenly coated.
3. Spread the croutons evenly on a baking tray, bake about 10 minutes then mix and continue baking for another 10 minutes. Check if the croutons are crispy, if you prefer them to be drier, continue baking them until they reach your desired texture. Enjoy as a topping for soups or salads.