Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons with homemade white bread and homemade mayonnaise

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade white bread ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Add the lukewarm water and olive oil and Knead about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, pliable and doesn't stick to your hands.

   BowlStand mixer

   💡For yeast dough, use the windowpane test: a small piece stretches into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing, and that's the sign the kneading is done. Add flour only by the tablespoon, and only if the dough is still sticky after a few minutes: too much flour makes a tough dough.
3. 3
   Cover and Let rise about an hour in a warm place, until the dough doubles in size.

   Plastic wraporKitchen towel

   💡Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot. The dough is ready when it has doubled, and a gentle finger press leaves a dent that fills back slowly; if it springs right back, wait longer.
4. 4
   Shape the dough into an oblong loaf and place it in loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

   Loaf pan

   💡Shape a tight loaf the length of the pan: it fills the pan evenly, and the bread rises tall instead of spreading sideways.
5. 5
   Cover and Let rise 30 minutes, until the loaf has risen.

   Plastic wraporKitchen towel
6. 6
   Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).

   Oven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
7. 7
   Bake 35–40 minutes, until the loaf is browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

   OvenLoaf pan

   💡Tapping the bottom of the loaf is the test: baked bread sounds hollow; if the sound is dull, put it back in the oven for a few more minutes.

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
8. 8
   Turn the loaf out of the pan and let cool on a rack before slicing.

   Cooling rack

   💡Bread left in the hot pan sweats, and its crust softens: turn it out right away and cool it on a rack.

For the Salad Dressing

1. 9
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

   Oven
2. 10
   Cut the bread into cubes, toss with the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.

   Serrated knife (bread knife)Cutting boardBowlBaking pan
3. 11
   Bake the cubes 10 minutes, until they are crisp.

   OvenBaking pan
4. 12
   Put the egg, mustard, salt and black pepper in the blender jar and blend about half a minute.

   BlenderorStick blenderorFood processor
5. 13
   Add the oil in a thin, slow stream, while the blender is running, until a thick emulsion forms.

   Blender

   💡The thin stream is everything: fat that goes in too fast can't bind, and the sauce breaks. For mayonnaise and hollandaise, if this happens, start with a fresh yolk and slowly add the broken sauce to it; if the sauce is too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of water.
6. 14
   Add the lemon juice and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
7. 15
   In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, salt and black pepper until smooth.

   Bowl

To assemble

1. 16
   Wash the leaves and dry well.

   Colander

   💡Wet leaves repel the dressing and it pools at the bottom of the plate: dry them well after washing.
2. 17
   Tear the leaves by hand into pieces.
3. 18
   Toss the leaves with the dressing and arrange on a serving plate.

   💡The dressing goes on only just before serving: dressed green leaves wilt within minutes.
4. 19
   Sprinkle the croutons and cheese on top.
5. 20
   Serve immediately.