Easy Homemade Ciabatta Croutons (Oven or Air Fryer)

Crunchy ciabatta croutons in a baking tin.

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5 from 1 vote

Easy Homemade Ciabatta Croutons (Oven or Air Fryer)

I've provided instructions for the easiest and most delicious ciabatta croutons for both oven-baked and air fryer.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, European, Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 466kcal

Author: Emily Roz

Ingredients

120 g ciabatta roll or bread
5 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon grated parmesan or pecorino
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika smoked or sweet
¼ teaspoon sea salt 5-8 grinds of salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper 10-15 grinds of black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190c fan / 410F or prepare your air fryer at 190c / 375F. Slice your ciabatta bread into small pieces around 1 inch by 1 inch. I like to have some that are a bit bigger and some that are a bit smaller, to provide a bit of diversity in the texture and crunch! But you do you!
Place the sliced ciabatta into a medium-sized bowl and drizzle over the olive oil. Toss the bread cubes and then sprinkle over the grated parmesan, dried oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly with your hands or a spoon so that all of the croutons are covered.
Oven: Transfer the bread pieces to a metal tray and place in the oven for 8-12 minutes. Flipping halfway. Cook until golden and crispy.
Air Fryer: Transfer the bread pieces to your air fryer compartment and cook for 3 minutes, then toss and cook for a further 2 minutes until golden and crispy. Every air fryer is different, this is what worked with my air fryer. So just keep an eye on the croutons so they don't burn!
Remove the croutons from the oven/air fryer once they're golden and crunchy on the outside.
Serve warm with a salad or on top of a soup! Enjoy!

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe so scroll further up the blog to fine them!

Storage: Let the croutons cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Because they contain parmesan, they're best eaten within 3 to 4 days. Avoid the fridge, as the humidity makes them go soft.

Freezing: Once completely cool, freeze the croutons in an airtight container or zip-lock bag for up to 1 month.

Reheating: Spread the croutons on a baking tray or in the air fryer basket and heat at 190°C / 375°F for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp again. You can reheat them straight from frozen, just give them an extra minute.

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