Homemade beer croutons are one of the best accompaniments to a glass of cold beer. They are suitable for a variety of occasions - be it watching a match of your favorite football team, an evening of board games or get-togethers with friends.
Homemade beer croutons with garlic are one of the easiest dishes to make, and they are a million times better than the ones you can buy in the store.
They also go great with any condiments you like and can be made with any type of bread you have on hand (including gluten-free). Oh yes, it’s also up to you whether to make them big or small, soft or crispy, lean or seasoned with butter. So, take a look at the bread bin and check out our recipes for beer croutons.
How to make homemade croutons for beer
Photo by @annet_pilipenko
To make homemade croutons, you need three main ingredients:
Bread
Ideally, yesterday or the day before yesterday. Any variety will do.
Olive oil
Or ghee - whichever you prefer.
Seasonings
The choice is entirely up to you! Without a doubt, the most common option is fresh minced garlic or garlic powder. Plus, salt and black pepper. But no one forbids experimenting with any other seasonings (for example, rosemary, black pepper or paprika), as well as additives such as grated cheese.
What are breadcrumbs used for?
Thanks to its property, the crumb provides a golden crust. Which retains the released meat juice during frying. What makes the dish juicy and tasty.
Since fresh breadcrumbs absorb liquid, they are good for use in baking. Oh, how delicious meat rolls, cutlets and meatballs turn out when we use fresh breadcrumbs. For example, in my article Flamenquines - with jamon and cheese, I clearly described how breadcrumbs can be used.
How to make beer croutons at home: step-by-step instructions
Photo by @cyharikoff
Step 1: Cut the bread into cubes
Choose any size cubes you like. Cut the bread with a knife or tear it into small pieces by hand. It is important that the future crackers are the same size so that they cook evenly.
Step 2: Toss bread with butter and seasonings
Place the bread in a large bowl and drizzle the oil and seasonings evenly over the pieces. Then mix them.
Step 3: Place the croutons on a baking sheet
Place the crackers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and arrange them in a single layer.
Step 4: Bake until crispy
When the top side of the crackers is browned, turn them over. Then bake until they reach your desired level of crispiness. If they start to get too brown, reduce the heat and place the pan on the highest level.
Step 5: Serve or Reserve
Serve the crackers hot. Or let them cool until they reach room temperature, then store in a covered container for up to two weeks.
Recipe for drying crackers without oven
It's summer, sun, heat outside and you don't want to turn on the oven? Cut the bread into the desired slices for breadcrumbs and place on a baking sheet or any other flat dish in one layer.
We cover it with gauze in several layers so that midges and flies do not fly in, and place it outside in the sun or a sunny windowsill. Literally the next day we enjoy crackers!
How to prepare beer croutons in the oven
Photo by @it_jen_dos
So, we've sorted out the basics. Let's move on to the classic recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf of bread, cut into cubes;
- 1/4 cup olive oil;
- 2 teaspoons seasoning;
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder;
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt;
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, drizzle olive oil evenly over bread slices. Then sprinkle the bread evenly with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix carefully. Place bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, turning halfway through cooking to brown all sides.
Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the cubes, so be careful not to burn them. On average this will take 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the crackers from the oven and let them cool completely. Serve or place in an airtight container that should be stored in a dark, dry place (but no longer than two weeks).
Useful tips
Crackers from bread or loaf in the microwave are prepared quickly, but do not turn out with a golden crust, like from the oven. But despite this, they turn out crispy and appetizing. To ensure everything works out right the first time, follow the main rules.
You can simply prepare crackers in the microwave:
- Bread pieces should be no thicker than two cm. Because microwaves do not penetrate deeper.
- To avoid getting burnt bread, read the instructions for your microwave model before making crackers in the microwave.
- For a golden crust, use the “Grill” function.
- To evenly distribute the spices with vegetable oil, place the preparations in a plastic bag and shake well.
Recipes for crackers in the microwave are so simple that even a schoolchild can handle them. Homemade snacks do not contain flavorings, a lot of salt and dyes. Therefore, cook at home and do not harm your health.
Crackers with mustard
Photo by @foodfoto_ek
Ingredients:
- a loaf of bread (preferably black);
- 1.5 tablespoons mustard;
- 1/2 teaspoon salt;
- 2-3 tablespoons of oil.
How to cook
Cut the bread into pieces of any size. Combine mustard with oil, salt and mix thoroughly. Place the croutons into the bowl with the mixture and stir again. Make sure the mustard and butter covers all the pieces. Place the crackers on a baking sheet and then place it in the oven preheated to 150 degrees. Monitor the cooking process - as soon as the crackers acquire the desired color, they can be taken out.
Foundation for weight loss
Summer is coming, and over the winter many people have become a little rounder. I want to lose weight, get in shape, fit into my favorite dress. And for this you need to follow a diet. Everyone has the right to set their own rules for eating. There are many diets that allow the use of crackers. And there are even more recipes for how to quickly make crackers in the microwave. Here are some popular weight loss techniques:
- Diet on breadcrumbs, designed for 5 days. During the specified time, you need to eat one cracker instead of the usual bread. For example, for breakfast it is advised to drink a cup of coffee, eat an apple and a piece of dried bread. For lunch and dinner you can eat yogurt, egg, tomato and crackers (1 piece each). The next day you can eat a couple of pieces of beef with vegetables and a piece of dried bread.
- The stale bread diet involves regularly eating crackers. Both for breakfast and lunch and dinner. Crackers complement the main menu. The course of such a hunger strike is designed for a month.
- Crackers with kefir are the most common way to lose extra pounds. During the day you need to drink 1.5 liters of fermented milk product and eat 300 g of rye crackers. The diet is designed for 7 days. The most persistent and desperate can replace kefir with water and add another 1.5 liters of tea and a light salad to their diet.
However, we must remember that everything is good in moderation. You can't become a fanatic. What we do does not always work out for our good.
Advice: Before choosing a particular diet on crackers, consult your doctor. Don't ruin your body.
How to cook croutons for beer in a frying pan
Photo by @selskiye_budni
Do you want fried, not baked? Or maybe you don't have an oven? Especially for such cases, we have prepared a recipe for making crackers on the stove.
Ingredients:
- half a loaf of bread (preferably rye);
- a pinch of black pepper;
- 1/2 teaspoon salt;
- 2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil;
- head of garlic.
How to cook
Just like in the previous recipes, cut the bread into pieces of the same size. Sprinkle the bread with finely chopped garlic and salt. Heat the oil in a frying pan and wait until it sizzles. Place the first batch of crackers and wait about a minute before you start turning them - otherwise you risk damaging them. Place the finished crackers on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Let's enjoy the taste of a foamy drink with crispy crackers
Representatives of the stronger half of humanity love to relax and drink a glass of foamy drink on their days off. Do you want to pamper your loved one? Prepare fragrant crackers. For such a snack, it is better to take black bread, or rather, a crust of it.
Compound:
- black bread;
- vegetable fat – 2-3 tbsp. l.;
- spices and finely ground salt to taste.
Preparation:
- Chop the bread into equal cubes and place it on a plate. Use only microwave-safe utensils, otherwise you risk damaging your kitchen gadget.
- Take a spray bottle and spray the oil onto the crackers.
- Now it's time to add flavor. Salt, pepper and season the bread pieces with spices.
- Cover the dish with foil or a lid and place it in the microwave oven.
- Dry the bread for 2 minutes at maximum power.
- Let's look in the microwave. The moisture has not all evaporated yet, so we will turn the crackers over and send them to fry for another 2 minutes.
- Here we have a delicious snack for a foamy drink.
Cheese crackers
Photo by @l_e_b_e_d
Syyyyr. Do you often say that? Even if it’s not very good, try replacing garlic with cheese for the sake of experiment—you might like it.
Ingredients:
- a loaf of bread;
- 200 grams of hard cheese;
- 1 tablespoon olive oil;
- salt to taste.
How to cook
Lightly fry the sliced bread in a dry frying pan until golden brown. Once the pieces are browned, drizzle them with oil and salt. Grate the cheese on a fine grater, sprinkle it on the crackers and mix. Don’t overcook them in the pan—put them in a bowl right away.
Wait a couple of minutes and start tasting.
Crackers for Caesar salad: recipe
We offer to prepare a real kitchen masterpiece. Caesar salad the way the famous chef created it. You can find the recipe at the link.
Caesar salad
But the croutons are prepared in a very interesting way. We will need:
- Yesterday's loaf;
- 5 tbsp. spoons of olive oil;
- 4 cloves of hot garlic.
Squeeze the garlic into the olive oil, close the container and let the oil steep for a day. Take out the garlic.
Cut the loaf into small cubes 0.5*0.5 or 1*1 cm, place on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush the bread with olive sauce and place in the oven at 150°C.
Dry for 15 minutes, let cool and add to salad. Please note that the croutons for Caesar salad are not stored, but are prepared each time to preserve the flavor.
Crackers in the microwave
Photo @iamcookru
Why not? Quick, simple, and just as delicious.
Ingredients:
- loaf of rye bread;
- 5 cloves of garlic;
- 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil;
- salt and spices to taste.
How to cook
Pour oil into a small plate and add chopped garlic, spices and salt. Stir. Drizzle the mixture over the sliced bread until all sides are evenly coated. Place the crackers in a special microwave-safe bowl.
Set the microwave to medium power and run for two minutes, then remove the crackers and stir. Repeat five to seven times until the crackers acquire a golden color. How do you know when they are ready? You will hear clicking and tapping sounds in the microwave.
Peculiarities
Of course, in situations where their appearance is not of great importance, a microwave will facilitate and speed up the process, but the peculiarities of preparing this product should be taken into account.
Microwaves operate at a depth of 2-5 cm; at a depth exceeding this figure, about 50% of the power is lost, so the bread must be cut into equal pieces no thicker than 2 cm and dried in one layer.
It is not recommended to cook small portions of food weighing less than 200 grams in microwave ovens, so the optimal size of one serving of bread to be microwaved is from 300 to 400 g.
When preparing sweet crackers, you should remember that sugar absorbs microwaves faster and, accordingly, heats up faster, so it must be dissolved.
Moisture also absorbs microwaves well, so a flour product dipped in a wet dressing will take longer to cook than one simply sliced.
In addition to these rules, do not forget about the general rules for using microwave ovens and precautions.
Having figured out that crackers can still be made in the microwave, you can begin to master recipes for their preparation.
- Cut the bread into identical small squares, sprinkle them with salt and your favorite spices, mix;
- Place the bread slices to dry in the microwave for one minute on each side. The furnace power should be as high as possible.
Crackers in a slow cooker
Photo by @cyharikoff
Yes, that's possible too. Now we’ll tell you exactly how.
Ingredients:
- loaf of rye bread;
- 5 cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic);
- salt, herbs and spices to taste;
- 3 tablespoons olive oil.
First make a sauce from butter, garlic and spices. Cut the bread into small pieces so that it can fit at the bottom of the multicooker bowl. The resulting blanks were oiled in any convenient way and loaded into the device. Turn on the “baking” mode and wait 20 minutes.
After this, open the multicooker and mix the crackers thoroughly. Turn on the “baking” mode again and wait 20 minutes again. As a rule, two or three times are enough to get the finished dish. By the way, if you are the happy owner of such a wonderful device as a multicooker, then be sure to read our recipes for cooking with this device.
- Food 4 Healthy Instant Pot Meals That Are Quick and Easy to Prepare
What do breadcrumbs look like?
This is a crumb of dry white and rye bread. Which is used in preparing dishes from fish, meat, vegetables and poultry. How to make delicious breadcrumbs with your own hands at home?
You can prepare breadcrumbs in any way convenient for you. Such as in a frying pan, in the microwave or in the oven.
Cheese beer bread sticks
Photo by @soniaperonaci
Ready for an advanced recipe? Yes, it is somewhat more complicated than those listed above, but it is definitely worth the effort. These are not ordinary croutons, but real Italian grissini.
Stunningly delicious cheesy garlic beer bread sticks are ideal for watching a football match or friendly get-togethers with a couple of intoxicating mugs.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of flour;
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast;
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder;
- 3/4 teaspoon salt;
- 1 tablespoon olive oil;
- 3/4 glass of beer at room temperature;
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature;
- 2 cloves garlic, minced;
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese;
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese;
- marinara sauce (for serving).
How to cook
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, yeast, baking powder, salt, olive oil and beer. Knead the dough until it becomes soft and homogeneous. Cover and let it rise for one hour. Place the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat it to 230 degrees.
In a small bowl, cream together the butter and garlic using a fork. On a large piece of parchment paper, stretch and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, taking five minutes between stretching if the dough “jumps” back. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the dough.
Sprinkle with cheese. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough on it. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let the bread cool for a couple of minutes before cutting into the breadsticks. Serve them hot with marinara sauce.
- Author: Maria Minaeva
On a note
How can you replace breadcrumbs if they are not available, but you want a dish with a crispy crust? Coarse rye or corn flour, semolina, oatmeal or corn flakes crushed in a coffee grinder are perfect for this purpose. A great idea is to use crushed crackers or chips. They can be crushed in a mortar, or placed on a cutting board and rolled over them with a rolling pin. The breading of hard cheese, grated on a fine grater and mixed with your favorite spices, is very tasty.
Breadcrumbs have a higher calorie content than flour breading. Their energy value is close to 400 Kcal/100g. Keep this in mind if you need to strictly count the calories of the food you eat. In addition, when frying a product, bread crumbs absorb a lot of fat, the calorie content of which is also very high. Therefore, it is recommended to place fried foods on a paper napkin, which will absorb excess oil.
Industrial breadcrumbs must be manufactured in accordance with GOST, taking into account established technology and sanitary standards. For the production of breading, bread (bakery products) of 1st or 2nd grade, without signs of mold or potato disease, can be used. The grains should have a light golden or light brown color, be uniform in size, and without any foreign smell or taste. Ensure the integrity of the packaging. It must indicate the expiration date of the product, which is usually 1 month. To avoid troubles, it is better to purchase the product from a trusted manufacturer.
The longer you store breaded cutlets, fish or vegetables, the less crunchy the crust will be on the surface of the product.
What does it mean to dry crackers in a zone?
Dry the crackers
- a colloquial expression in the Russian language meaning to prepare for criminal punishment, for arrest.
Apparently, this expression came into everyday language from prison slang. ... Then the expression “ to dry crackers
” came about - that is, to prepare for imprisonment.
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What are they for?
Breadcrumbs make dishes more appetizing and tasty. But that's not all. They improve the quality of cooked food. The dishes have a rich and juicy taste.
Separately, it is worth saying that only certain bread is suitable for making dry crumbs. You only need the one that is made from premium flour.
Rusks made from other types of bread are too coarse and unsuitable for frying. In order to cook poultry or fish, it is advisable to use larger crumb crumbs.
And for preparing dishes with minced meat, it is better to give preference to finely ground crumbs.
Breadcrumbs can be used to prepare dishes such as:
- chops,
- cutlets,
- nuggets,
- zrazy,
- schnitzels,
- cheese croquettes,
- bits,
- cheese sticks,
- fish fingers
- mashed potato balls.
This list can still be supplemented. They are also used to prepare various desserts. For example, dry bread crumbs are included in recipes for chocolate “Potatoes” or charlottes. The product is sprinkled onto the bottom of the baking dish to avoid burning.
They are needed to prepare the sauce. There is even a type of sauce where the base is bread crumbs. It is served with meat and fish dishes.
Homemade always tastes better!
Choosing a method
There are many ways to dry crackers at home:
- in the sun - on a window or balcony;
- on the stove or in the oven, while the oven door must be slightly open so that steam can escape;
- and the easiest and fastest way is to dry the crackers in the microwave.
The principle of drying is simple: microwaves penetrate inside the pieces of bread, warm them up and dry out the moisture. Therefore, bread dried in a microwave oven is darker inside than outside.
How to make delicious crackers in the microwave?
In principle, you can make crackers from any bread. Which one to take depends on the minor ingredients. If you want sweet crackers, take a loaf, but rye crackers will taste better in combination with salt and onion, or salt and garlic. It is better to take a roll for croutons that is not fresh, but one that has been sitting for one or two days, so it will crumble less during processing.
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Cut the bread into thin slices and cut off the crust. In principle, you can leave it, but then keep in mind that the crackers with it will turn out to be rough. Then we cut them into square or rectangular pieces. At the same time, try to keep the pieces the same. Place the future croutons on a dish that can be used in the microwave and select a mode.
Each microwave oven has its own power, so the first time you use it, you will have to experiment over time. Select the highest power and turn on the microwave for two minutes. Then check the crackers and if they are not done, flip them over and set the timer for another two minutes. Then the operation is repeated. Why can’t you immediately set the time for six to ten minutes?
Because burnt crackers are clouds of yellow smoke that are difficult to clear from the room, and which, among other things, can color your microwave oven a poisonous yellow color.
Garlic croutons: microwave recipe
For the recipe for crackers with garlic, cooked in the microwave, take rye bread. Not Borodino, not black or Ukrainian, but real rye, so to speak, the “classic” of drying crackers.
For our crouton recipe you will need:
- one loaf of rye bread;
- salt 30-40 ml, fine “extra”;
- garlic – regular or granulated or dried;
- olive oil.
Cut the bread into squares, diamonds, strips - as you like. Then mix the garlic and salt in a bowl. To avoid making breadcrumbs too salty or spicy, stir a little at a time. What kind of garlic should I use for our recipe? Dried and ground is best, since granulated garlic still has to be ground in a mortar, and regular garlic must be squeezed out, but there is no hassle with dried garlic - just pour it into a bowl and it’s ready.
Add the bread pieces to the bowl and mix, stirring gently with a spoon. Next, try - if something is missing for your taste, then add the missing element. It's time to join in with the bread and olive oil. Since bread absorbs oil well, it would be better to pour it in small portions onto the bottom of the bowl, rather than into pieces.
Pour the pieces into a mold; it should have wide sides, since moisture will be released from the bread during the drying process.
Heat the bread in stages, two minutes at a time. During pauses between heating, remove and stir with a fork. As soon as you hear a characteristic knock, it means that the bread is already dry and all that remains is to brown it. Next, you can turn on the microwave for three minutes, then four, until the pieces become slightly browned.
I do not eat. There are so many chemicals and harmful additives that... And I certainly don’t allow my child to eat them. But sometimes you really want something sweet or with hot spices. And if you have Caesar salad for lunch or on the menu, you can’t do without them.
Stale bread is best suited for these purposes. Moreover, you can take any baguette, not just white, for example, rye or with bran, French baguette or Borodino baguette - choose to your taste.
Let's start right away with the spicy ones, with garlic. I think that by analogy in the future you can make it with any spice you like, or without it at all
Sweet ones can be made from buns, bagels, muffins and biscuits, or from white bread, which can be sprinkled with powdered sugar.
