Cornbread Croutons Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my croutons not crispy? ›

Spread the bread cubes onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure the bread cubes are in an even layer and not touching. If they are too close and overlapping, they won't cook evenly and won't crisp up. Bake for 12 to 20 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until the croutons are golden brown.

To achieve the crispiest golden crust on your cornbread, Delk Adams instructs you to grease the skillet liberally with bacon grease (if you don't have that, shortening, butter, or oil will do), then pop it into the hot oven for 5 minutes before pouring the batter in.

Cut back on fat or grease by one third.

Many traditional cornbread recipes call for bacon grease, shortening, or lard. It can add a delicious flavor, but it can also cause your cornbread to separate during baking. Try cutting your proportion of grease or fat by about a third.

We recommend flash-freezing the croutons on a baking sheet until solid, then transferring the frozen croutons to an airtight freezer bag. Store them frozen for up to 1 month and thaw them in the fridge. You may wish to place your defrosted croutons into the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up again before serving.

Let croutons cool in a single layer on the baking sheet. Use immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To refresh stale croutons, bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 400 degrees.

A scattering of dry coarse cornmeal in the hot skillet before you pour in the batter makes the cornbread extra crunchy. Flipping it onto a plate or rack also helps the crust stay crisp. Or you could make it thicker and cook it ahead of time, then split the slices and toast them before serving.

Set the batter aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

By letting the cornbread batter sit at room temperature before baking, the cornmeal has some extra time to absorb the flavor from the other ingredients, and the baking powder gets a head start.

The consistency of the batter should be a bit like pancake batter—a little on the thin side. Thick batter can result in dry texture and cornbread that crumbles easily after baking. If you feel your batter is too thick, simply add a splash of extra milk.

Let the bread rest for 10 to 30 minutes in the skillet before cutting it into wedges and serving. To avoid burning your hand because you've forgotten the pan is hot, I recommend placing a pot holder on the pan's handle while the cornbread is resting, or cooling the handle down a bit with an ice cube.

What to add to cornbread mix to make it better? ›

One of the simplest ways is to bring in more flavor and depth is by adding ⅓ cup of sour cream to the batter, which makes the cornbread extra moist and a little tangy. Another tangy option: Add ⅔ cup of buttermilk, which also makes the cornbread super tender.

You can just use water instead which is what most cornbread mixes ask for in the first. I've used both before and it normally turns out good either way. If you don't want to use water though some other milk substitutes are usually other dairy products like yogurt, sour cream, or half and half.

Extra Butter: To keep the cornbread moist and buttery, unwrap one end of a stick of butter and run it over the top of the baked cornbread while it is still hot. The butter will seep into the bread, adding extra moistness and flavor. Serve warm with butter and a drizzle of honey.

If your crust is becoming soft too quickly and not staying crispy you simply need to bake the bread longer. The best way to do this is to lower the temperature of your oven slightly and bake a few more minutes to achieve the same color you would have at the higher temperature.

The method for reviving croutons involves lightly coating them in oil and baking them until they are golden and crispy again. This not only re-crisps them but also provides an opportunity to infuse additional flavors through seasonings such as garlic, herbs, or Parmesan.

If a recipe calls for dry bread crumbs but you don't have any on hand, use packaged croutons. Place them in a resealable bag and smash them with a rolling pin. Crumbs made from seasoned croutons add extra flavor!

Let me explain: Most croutons are crunchy through and through, but these are designed to be crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle–far better for munching out of hand (or as a complement to tender salad leaves) than the hard, desiccated store-bought kind.