Enjoy these croutons on a salad with pears and blue cheese, on top of Squash soup or use to create an extraordinary stuffing.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice the bread about ¾-inch thick. Cut off the crusts and then cut the slices in ¾-inc dice. You should have 6 to 8 cups of croutons.

Place the croutons on a sheet pan and toss them with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing once, until theyre nicely browned on all sides. Cool to room temperature.