Croutons are the best part of a salad – here’s how to nail them

RAISE your hand if you think, or have ever thought, that the best part of a salad was the croutons.

Yup, I thought so.

“They barely make it into the salad bowl if it’s a good crouton,” says cookbook author and baking instructor Tara Jensen. Those nubs of toasted bread – crouton is derived from the French word for “little crust” – can be hard to resist. And why would you?

Whether you want to make the best croutons for snacking, salads or soups, here are some things to keep in mind.

The bread

Almost any kind of bread you have sitting around can be turned into croutons. Jensen is a big fan of sourdough, especially loaves made with some whole wheat, so that the bran rehydrates and soaks up more of the oil for optimal flavour and a slight chew.

Hearty white sandwich bread, such as the sliced loaves you might get at the store, is a