Bruschettas that are thin, crispy and smell like olive oil and oregano, this is the perfect bruschetta! I am not even talking about the ingredients you put on top, it’s the crispy bread base that makes the bruschetta perfect. I have ordered so many times bruschettas around restaurants in London and often all I get served is some thick toasted bread that has no flavour itself with some tomato mixture on top.
Personally I believe that the bread has to be very thin and crispy and infused with herbs and olive oil. To make it crispy you have to either gently toast it on a heated pan, which is the way I do them or bake them in the oven. I am not Italian but I am pretty sure this is one of the best ways to make amazingly delicious bruschettas, read full instructions further below.
After preparing the perfect crispy bread, here are a few topping ideas to make the bruschattas even more amazing. There are so many delicious toppings you can come up with! Choose your favourite vegetables/fruits, fresh herbs and maybe some type of cheese. Extra virgin olive oil is your best friend, it’s usually a good idea to add it to the mixture to avoid serving dry bruschettas.
1. Avocado topping (my favourite) – ripe soft avocados, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Cut all of the ingredients and mix them well, add salt and extra virgin olive oil.
2. The Classic – tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella and crushed garlic (optional). Again, cut all of the ingredients and mix them well in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil and salt. Ideally, the topping is done 2 or 3 hours before serving and put aside in the fridge to marinade.
3. Salmon bruschettas – spread cream cheese (make sure it doesn’t have any unnecessary additives), add a piece of smoked salmon on top and some fresh dill.
I also quite like the combination of cheese and sweet fruits. Grapes are the perfect fruits that go very well with cheese but you can also use strawberries or figs for example. For the bruschettas below I have used cream cheese and figs and also Brie cheese with strawberries. You can also use Blue cheese if you are a fan.
There are so many toppings you can create to impress you family and friends or just to enjoy by yourself! A glass of wine is always a great companion for this great starter. Here is another great recipe idea of how to serve these crispy bruschettas – Baked Camembert with honey pistachios and crispy bruschettas on the side to dip in the melted cheese. This is so delicious, you will eat your fingers!
Finally, here is the recipe to make the perfect crispy bruschettas, it’s so easy!
Ingredients
- 1 baguette
- dried oregano (or basil)
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the baguette into thin slices with a sharp bread knife.
- Brush each slice with extra virgin olive oil on both sides (a pastry brush will help).
- (optional) If you like garlic you can also cut a clove of garlic in half and rub over one side of the slices.
- Sprinkle dried oregano over each slice.
- Method 1:
- Heat a heavy pan with no additional oil over medium high heat. Drop each slice in and allow to crisp for 2-3 minutes (or until golden), flip and repeat.
- Method 2:
- Preheat oven to 230 °C (450° F) and place the bread slices on the top rack, you can spread them on a parchment paper.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes or until brown and golden.
- Once out of the oven, add your cold toppings while the bread is still hot. This will allow any type of cheese to slightly melt.
