Cheddar Sourdough Croutons

Pronounced KROHT-uhn.

Cheddar Sourdough Croutons

Makes 12-16 large croutons, enough for 4 servings of soup.

Ingredients:

4 thick slices of rustic sourdough bread, each torn into 3-4 chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup aged English or Vermont cheddar cheese, grated
ground cayenne pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a mixing bowl, toss the sourdough with the olive oil, salt, and pepper to coat.

Tossed Bread Arranged on Baking Sheet

Place bread on a tinfoil-lined baking sheet and bake until starting to brown, turning once in the middle of cooking, about six minutes. Remove from oven.

Set broiler to high.

Out of the Broiler and Golden

Sprinkle cheese liberally over tops of each chunk of bread, fully covering one whole side, as any exposed bread will char. Return to the oven and broil about two minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Remove.

Dusted with Cayenne Pepper

Lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Serve right away as cheesy crostini or let cool and use as croutons.