I love keeping fresh bread in the house but sometimes this means it goes stale before I’m able to finish a full loaf. Rather than throw a stale loaf away, I’ve found making croutons can breathe new life into leftover bread and turn it into a delicious snack.

Ingredients

• Any amount of stale bread
• Olive oil¹
• Garlic powder (optional)
• Thyme (optional)
• Rosemary (optional)
• Whatever other spices/dried herbs feel right- toss ‘em in there.

Steps

1. Pre-heat your oven to 190C or 375F.
2. Using a serrated knife, slice the bread into 1 in (2-3 cm) cubes.
3. Place the cubes into a prep bowl and, adding a tablespoon of olive oil at a time, toss the bread with the oil to evenly cover all of the cubes.
4. Add any or all of the seasonings, continuing to toss the bread to coat evenly.
5. Bake for 8-12 minutes, keeping a close eye towards the end of the timer. You’re looking for some nice golden edges like you’d find on toast.
6. Let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container. The internet tells me these can last for a week or two², but honestly they’re so addictive that I’ve never been able to keep them around for longer than a day or two.