Home made croutons are a real treat. They can be used to top almost any soup or as a side dish or topper with a salad. We show you how to cook them perfectly.
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Cut two slices of bread about 2cm / ¾in thick. Cut away the crust. Cut the bread roughly into 2cm / ¾in cubes.
Pour the olive oil into a bowl and add the bread. Turn the bread with a fork until all the sides are coated with oil. This is fiddly and will take about 5 minutes.
Unsliced white bread for croutons
Put the oil coated bread on an oven proof baking tray and place in the pre-heated oven for five minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the half-cooked croutons. Cook for another five minutes.
Keep an eye on the croutons towards the end of the cooking. They are ready when they are golden brown.
Croutons can be stored in an air tight container for a couple of days. In fact, freshly made croutons improve if kept for a day. This is because fresh homemade croutons may have a soft centre immediately after cooking.