How to make beautiful, golden croutons?

Although the term had been generalized to designate small pieces of browned bread, croûtons, on its original French conception, consist of triangular pieces of bread, very lightly browned in clarified butter, that serve to garnish an entrée. 

The ones I will be sharing here are not the original French croûtons. Instead, I this recipe is for making the most popular looking version of this garnish - little cubes of golden bread. The quantities are really only a suggestion. You can make pounds of croûtons and store them on a sealed plastic container, if you want. This recipe renders about 3 cups.

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Take half a loaf of white bread, preferably old, and cut it into small cubes. You can choose to take the crust of before cutting the bread. It is up to you and your taste. Personally, I prefer to keep the crust because it turns crispy and delicious. In a bowl, mix the bread with 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and drizzle with some more olive oil. Put in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes (it depends on your oven) until the bread turns golden. Remove from the oven and serve as a garnish for salads and soups or as a snack. 

I know that snacking croûtons is probably weird for you but if you are one of those bread lovers, you have to try it. The only con is that they are addictive! And that is, after all, very delicious, too! They are crunchy and fruity and add a wonderful touch to your dishes.

Happy cooking and bon appetit!!