How to Make Puff Pastry Croutons
on Nov 13, 2018, Updated Nov 14, 2024
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Refrigerated or frozen puff pastry makes great croutons for salads, soups, and many other dishes.
Most of us usually think of puff pastry when it comes to dessert, but sometimes forget about how many ways it can be used in savory ways. The most classic types of appearance for puff pastry in a savory dish might be atop a chicken pot pie or wrapping a piece of meat or Beef Wellington (such a delightfully old-fashioned dish that I may need to make for my boyfolk soon).
But recently, I came up with these puff pastry croutons, and I was mighty pleased with myself. You can cut them into any shape you like or just slice the puff pastry freehand into squares or diamonds. You can make big or small croutons….the big ones might be lovely floating atop some Easy Creamy Tuscan Chicken or a soup of pretty much any sort, like the Cauliflower Cheese Soup. I am going to float a big flat puff pastry circle on a bowl of this Provencal Fish Stew in the near future for sure. Of course, the croutons are perfect on a salad! Try the Green Salad with Pears, Parmesan, and Pomegranate Seeds recipe to start.
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What's In This Post?
How to Make Puff Pastry Croutons: Store-bought puff pastry turns into easy flaky croutons, great for adding to a salad or a bowl of soup.
Different Shaped Puff Pastry Croutons
When I first came up with these, it was for a holiday salad that I was making, and I used these baby leaf cookie cutters, which are extremely cute and extremely autumnal. For Halloween, little pumpkin shapes or ghosts or whatnot would be awesome. Hearts for Valentine’s Day, trees for Christmas, and Stars for the Fourth of July. And little fluted circles or diamonds or anything you like for other days. You can find endless cookie cutter shape varieties online and wherever baking tools are sold.
Ingredients
- Refrigerated puff pastry dough – These are amazingly easy to make. If you use frozen puff pastry, defrost it according to package directions.
- Mayonnaise – A beaten egg yolk and/or a tablespoon or two of melted butter also work as a glaze, but the mayo is like a cross between brushing them with egg and melted butter, both classic options for making pastry glossy and nicely browned.
- Salt – For sprinkling on top.
- Seasonings – You can also add things like a sprinkle of Parmesan, some sesame or poppy seeds, or even some dried herbs or other spices. This is a great way to play around with the herbs and spices in your pantry.
Kitchen Smarts
If your puff pastry is frozen, it will need to be defrosted according to package directions. Thicker puff pastry should be lightly rolled out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The refrigerated version doesn’t need any rolling; it’s the right thickness right out of the package.
How to Make Puff Pastry Croutons
- Prepare the oven and puff pastry: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly roll (or unroll) the puff pastry out onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
- Cut the pastry: Use cookie cutters to cut the desired shapes or just slice the puff pastry into squares or diamond shapes.
- Remove excess dough: This step is optional, but you can remove any excess dough surrounding the shapes if you used cookie cutters, or you can just leave the shapes in place on the sheet of dough. Either way works fine, but the freestanding shapes will probably cook faster than the full sheet of dough.
- Brush the top of the dough with a light wash: You can brush the top of the dough with a light wash of mayonnaise for additional shine and golden brown color.
- Top with seasonings: Sprinkle the puff pastry dough with kosher salt, Parmesan, or other seasonings.
- Bake: Bake anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes—small freestanding shapes will take the least amount of time, and the whole sheet of pastry will take the longest. When the croutons are golden brown and flaky, they are done. Test one to be sure.
Storage
They keep in a sealed container for a few days, so you can make them ahead, and use them as the mood strikes. They also make great snacks—pair them with a glass of wine for a classy little hors d’ouevre.
What to Serve With Puff Pastry Croutons
More Puff Pastry Recipes
- Puff Pastry Breakfast Tarts with Spinach, Egg and Cheese
- Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche Puff Pastry Tartlets
- Herbed Cheesy Puff Pastry Bacon Straws
- Baked Brie En Croute with Raspberry Jam
How to Make Puff Pastry Croutons
Equipment
- Cookie cutters (optional)
Video
Ingredients
- Refrigerated puff pastry dough (defrosted if frozen)
- Mayonnaise (or beaten egg yolk and/or a tablespoon or two of melted butter)
- Salt
- Seasonings (Parmesan, sesame or poppy seeds, or dried herbs or other spices; optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Lightly roll (or unroll) the puff pastry out onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Use cookie cutters to cut the desired shapes or just slice the puff pastry into squares or diamond shapes.
- This step is optional, but you can remove any excess dough surrounding the shapes if you used cookie cutters, or you can just leave the shapes in place on the sheet of dough. Either way works fine, but the freestanding shapes will probably cook faster than the full sheet of dough.
- You can brush the top of the dough with a light wash of mayonnaise for additional shine and golden brown color.
- Sprinkle the puff pastry dough with kosher salt, Parmesan, or other seasonings.
- Bake anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes — small freestanding shapes will take the least amount of time, and the whole sheet of pastry will take the longest. When the croutons are golden brown and flaky, they are done. Test one to be sure.
Just made these for a dinner party and everyone went crazy for them! Forgot about my roast chicken, guests couldn’t stop raving and asked for a side plate of these little pillows of happiness during dinner! So easy too!!
Such a smart idea and great way to use scraps from other recipes.
These turn my salad into a work of art. And they are so delicious!