Easy Crostini Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Easy Crostini Recipe? ›

To avoid hard crostini, don't overcook the bread slices. They should be crisp on the outside edges but still just slightly tender in the middle. If your crostini seem a bit too hard, put the toppings on a bit in advance. The topping will soften the crostini.

To avoid hard crostini, don't overcook the bread slices. They should be crisp on the outside edges but still just slightly tender in the middle. If your crostini seem a bit too hard, put the toppings on a bit in advance. The topping will soften the crostini.

The main difference between these two toasts is that crostini is often thinly sliced, while bruschetta is usually served in thicker slices and drizzled with olive oil before it's toasted. The standard topping is diced tomato mixed with olive oil, garlic and Italian herbs—delicious, but a little boring.

The Best Bread for Crostini

A baguette is ideal for crostini, its small surface area is just the right size for these appetizer toasts. Or use a long Italian loaf. The bread doesn't have to be fresh—you're going to dry it out in the oven—so if you have a day-old baguette use it!

In the oven: Preheat oven to 200° or Warm setting. Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Stale Bread Method: Dampen, Wrap in Aluminum Foil, Reheat at 300°F. This is the approach The Spruce Eats recommends for bringing back stale bread — dampen under the faucet, wrap the whole loaf in foil, and reheat for 15 minutes in a 300°F oven.

Whatever your preferred style, Cab Sauv is always a great go-to for pairing with rich, flavorful recipes like these steak and burrata crostini.

Texture is very important–it shouldn't be too dense. The bread needs to be thin enough to bite, but thick enough to support toppings -1/2-inch thick is just right. Brush olive oil on each piece before toasting it.

What is the best bread for bruschetta? Any sort of bread sturdy and crusty enough to hold up to bruschetta toppings will work! Italian bread such a ciabatta or French bread like baguette are ideal. I like slicing up a whole baguette into diagonal slices so there's plenty of surface area to hold the tomatoes.

What is the French version of crostini? ›

The French call them tartines, the Americans Toasts and the Italians Bruschetta. The Webster Dictionary defines them as: an open sandwich, one with a rich or elaborate topping. No matter what you call them, we all seem to love them! I love serving Tartines as a heavier passed appetizer at parties.

Toast By Any Other Name is Crostini or Bruschetta...

Crostini use suggestions: canapés with toppings, for dips (especially excellent with Baked Brie), side dish for meals such as Acqua Pazza (Italian Fish in Tomato Sauce), dunking into Soups and stews! “Crostini” means “l*ttle crusts” (ie.

Toast them for just the right amount of time.

Bake at 375°F. for 7 - 8 minutes, turning over halfway through until golden brown. The crostini should be crispy on top but the inside should be tender. If the oven temperature is too low, the bread slices will bake and become too hard.

Make sure you wait until they're fully cooled before sealing them up, or they will soften and you'll have to re-crisp them in the oven! Don't refrigerate them, either, or they will taste a bit stale when you go to eat them later.

When you're ready to serve your toast, use a toast rack instead of putting it on to a plate. The side of the toast touching the plate will 'sweat', producing moisture that will soften the bread. Another option is to simply pop it back into the toaster for a few seconds before serving – it should crisp right back up!

If you want to make stale bread soft again, wrap the bread in foil. If the crust of the bread is very hard, sprinkle a little water on the outside before you close the foil. Place the bread in a 300°F oven for 5-15 minutes or until the bread feels soft. If you added water, heat the bread until it no longer feels soggy.

The crostini are done when they achieve a golden brown surface with a lightly crispy interior. Transfer the toasted bread off the baking sheet and cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

A lower oven temperature will help rehydrate the loaf without drying it out. Hold the loaf of bread under a running faucet and cover the exterior in hot or cold water—the temperature doesn't matter. The drier the loaf, the more water you should use.