Croutons an easy baking project

Homemade croutons taste way better than store-bought. They take time to bake but little effort to put together. And they don’t require exact measurements: Crisp up as many or as few as you’d like and adjust the other quantities as needed. The timing depends largely on the bread and your crunch preference. Here’s how to do it.

HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH CROUTONS

1 sourdough loaf or boule, fresh or day-old

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut bread with its crust into cubes slightly larger than the crouton size you like. I prefer 1-1/2 inch cubes; they’ll shrink to an inch after baking.

Spread cubes in a single layer, with some space between them, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until dry, firm and golden, 10 to 20 minutes. The timing depends on how dry your bread is to begin with.

Put pan on a rack and push all the bread cubes together so they’re touching. Drizzle evenly with olive oil so cubes are lightly coated but not drenched. Toss the cubes to even out the oil coating and spread out again. Return to oven and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let them turn dark golden brown if you prefer extra-crunchy croutons with a dark-toast taste. Just don’t let them burn.

Immediately sprinkle croutons with salt and pepper; toss to even out seasonings. Cool completely on pan on a wire rack.

Nutritional information unavailable.

Make ahead: The croutons will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.