Homemade Croutons Recipe

Bread, however made and whatever international name tag it is given, be it baguette, pita, lavash, nan or country bread, it is the number one comfort food that makes everything taste great.

Croutons, the dehydrated version of bread equally makes any salad or soup taste even better.

I love making them fresh rather than resorting to store bought ones as they are a brilliant way to minimise food waste by recycling stale bread, not to forget that you have the upper hand in creating the flavours you fancy. A big batch is never enough as they are so light, crunchy and addictive and, they are equally enjoyable as a snack whenever the munchies call.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium stale baguette

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• Pinch of salt

Method:

* Slice the baguette into 1 cm discs then cube them into small squares.

* Lay them on a try for 2 days in an airy place until they are totally dried.

* Preheat oven to 180 C fan setting.

* Place the croutons on an oven tray and toss with olive oil first then the herbs, garlic powder, salt and cheese.

* Place the tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake 10 minutes then turn them over and bake for a further 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Tips:

* Never throw away stale bread as you can dry it then use to make croutons or bread crumbs.

* Allowing to air dry lend the croutons a light and crispy texture.

* Store in a sealed container until needed.

* You can experiment with any flavours you want. Try cumin and chili powder.

* The heat ovens produce may differ so keep a close eye on the croutons as they can burn fast.

Per Serving: 421 Calories; 44g Fat (91.5% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 188mg Sodium.