Homemade Croutons

We go through a lot of bread. It is not uncommon for there to be 3 partial loaves on the counter at any time. I bake a new loaf almost daily. We can't always eat every last piece before it starts to go stale, and fresh bread always goes stale faster than store bought. I like to save the 3-day old stuff for croutons. You don't have to use homemade bread though. Those bookends nobody wants would also work for this.

This is more of a method than a recipe. You can customize it for your tastes and desires.

Croutons

Ingredients:

5 or so pieces of bread
vegetable oil
seasonings

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Cube your bread into bite sized pieces. I go with approximately 1cm cubes.

Lay the cubes in a single layer onto an ungreased baking sheet. Spritz the cubes with oil. If you don't have an oil spritzer, you can hold your thumb over the bottle's opening and gently shake the oil out over the bread. Shake on your seasonings --- my favourite combination is Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, and celery salt. Only one side of the bread has been seasoned, so now scoop your hands into it and gently toss to coat all sides. Spread the cubes back down in a single layer.

Bake for 10 minutes. Stir, and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Bake time will change depending on how dry your bread is starting out, and what size the cubes are.

 All done!

Croutons aren't just for Caesar salads, so try out new combinations. Enjoy!