Croutons

Ingredients

• 1-2 slices per person hearty white bread
• extra virgin olive oil
• oregano
• paprika
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• small pinch cayenne

Method

Cut the bread into 1 cm cubes — this size matters because smaller pieces crisp unevenly and larger ones stay soft at the centre. Use a serrated knife if your bread is still soft; a chef's knife works on day-old loaves.

Toss the bread in a large bowl with enough extra virgin olive oil to coat every surface lightly — you want a thin film, not pooling oil, or the croutons will taste greasy rather than toasted. Add oregano, paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder in equal measure (roughly 1/4 teaspoon each for two slices). A small pinch of cayenne sharpens the seasoning without heat-drowning the other spices. Mix gently until the cubes are evenly dressed; rough handling breaks the bread apart and muddies the finish.

Spread the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet — touching is fine, but overlapping will steam the underside. Set your oven to 180°C. The oven-baking happens in two stages because flipping halfway redistributes heat and drying unevenly. After 6 minutes, the edges should show colour and the surface will feel firm but the interior may still be yielding. Flip each cube onto an untoasted face and return to the oven. Another 5–7 minutes will bring them to full crisp — listen for them to sound hollow when you tap one together, and look for a pale golden colour rather than deep brown, which signals the oil has begun to burn.

The croutons will harden further as they cool, so remove them when they feel slightly yielding in the middle rather than completely rigid. This residual carryover cooking herb-infusion continues gently as they rest on the bench — a crucial step that prevents dry, hard cores. Once cool, store them in an airtight container for up to five days. They'll soften slightly in humid conditions but a brief 3-minute return to a 160°C oven will restore crispness.