Crouton
A small piece of bread toasted or fried until crisp, often seasoned and served in salads or soups.
Caesar salad: A salad of romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan, and a dressing typically made with garlic, anchovy, and lemon. Croutons are a defining textural element in this salad.
Toasting: The application of dry heat to bread or another food, browning its surface and reducing moisture. Toasting is a common way to make croutons crisp.
Bread: A baked food made from flour, water, and usually a leavening agent. Croutons are made by cutting bread into small pieces and crisping them.
Breadcrumbs: Small particles of dried or ground bread used as a coating, binder, or topping. Breadcrumbs are much finer than croutons and usually serve a different textural role.
French onion soup: A soup of caramelized onions in broth, traditionally topped with bread and melted cheese. Bread placed over the soup becomes crisp beneath its browned cheese topping.
Frying: Cooking food in hot fat or oil, transferring heat while adding a browned exterior. Frying makes croutons crisp and can give them a richer flavor.
Sourdough: Bread leavened by a culture of wild yeasts and bacteria that gives it a tangy flavor. Its firm crumb and tangy flavor make it a distinctive crouton base.
Melba toast: Thin, dry, crisp slices of bread, traditionally made by splitting and toasting bread. It is a crisp bread accompaniment, but usually served in thin slices rather than cubes.
Panzanella: An Italian bread salad that combines bread with tomatoes and other seasonal ingredients. It uses crisp or stale bread as a substantial part of the dish.
Maillard reaction: A set of chemical reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars that produces browning and complex flavors during heating. It contributes browned color and roasted flavor when croutons are heated.