Real Croutons

Marie Boucherot’s boulangerie, a few blocks from The Cook’s Atelier in Beaune, sells toasts made from leftover bread. We usually make the croutons ourselves, but every time we see them in the wicker basket by the window, we’re reminded how easy they are to make at home and what a good lesson she offers in not wasting food to everyone who shops or passes by. The guidelines below are very loose; bread that’s past its prime (or may soon be) is the perfect ingredient for making tiny bread crumbs for stuffing, larger bite-size croutons for tossing into soups and salads, or apéro- or meal-size toasts. Since this is more of a method than a recipe, you can use however much bread you have on hand. Bread crumbs and toasts are best used immediately.