Tomato and bread salad

4 cups 1-inch cubes Italian or French bread;
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed;
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar;
2 tablespoons capers, drained;
3⁄4 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend or dried oregano;
2 large roasted red or yellow bell peppers or other sweet peppers, cut into thin strips (about 1 cup);
1 small sweet onion, halved lengthwise and cut into thin strips;
3 cups diced tomatoes or halved miniature tomatoes;
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste;
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste;
1⁄2 cup lightly packed basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spread the cubes of bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until the cubes are crisp on the outside but still a little chewy on the inside, about 10 minutes; do not let the bread brown.
Whisk together the oil, vinegar, capers, dried herbs, peppers, onion, tomatoes, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes so that the tomatoes can release a little juice.
Stir in the bread cubes and let sit for about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally so that the bread can soak up some of the juice. The salad should be moist but not so wet that the bread gets soggy. Add more oil, if needed.
Stir in the basil, check the seasoning, and serve soon. Leftovers might taste good the next day, but the salad won’t look as appealing. The bread gets quite soft and the tomatoes languish in the refrigerator, so it’s best to enjoy this salad the day it’s made.
Tips and Techniques. The easiest way to cut basil is to make a stack of leaves with the largest leaves on the bottom. Starting on one long edge, roll the stack into a cylinder. The large outer leaves will hold the smaller ones in place. Cut the cylinder crosswise with a sharp knife. The closer the cuts, the narrower the pieces will be. Shake them loose and the basil will fall into neat ribbons, sometimes called a chiffonade. This same technique works with large leafy vegetables such as collards, kale, and chard.