If you have the time, it's worth it to make croutons yourself at home instead of buying them from the grocery store. Here's ...

For the best crusty, crispy texture, start with a dense bread like French bread or sourdough rolls. This time, I used a French baguette from Walmart, which had a diameter of about 2–3 inches ...

The Le Creuset Bread Oven makes baking crispy, crusty bread easier than ever. We tested it out with three loaves of no-knead bread and 12 scones. Read our review here.

Avoid any bread that is especially dense, like certain whole-grain loaves. A dense bread may not toast well in the oven and could end up tasting slightly stale rather than crisp.

For those who like to start their morning with toast or a bagel, the best toasters deliver evenly browned, crispy bread every single time, no matter which shade setting you prefer. Our top pick ...