How to Make Crostini

The Best Bread for Bruschetta

With such an easy appetizer like fresh tomato bruschetta, the ingredients you use make the biggest difference.

If you have in-season tomatoes, fresh garlic, and fresh basil leaves, you definitely want to be sure you have the best bread for making bruschetta toasts!

You could use a grocery store baguette from the bakery department for appetizer-sized bruschetta toasts.

But if you really want a meal to remember, take the time to make my homemade ciabatta bread in your bread machine.

These glorious slices of bread have the most amazing texture once toasted with garlic and olive oil and would make the best bruschetta bread you have ever had.

Ingredients

To make crostini at home, you only need two ingredients:

1. Fresh Bread: This is essential, the bread should come from the bakery department of your grocery store. Or take the time to make it fresh at home. Costco does sell fantastic French baguettes in the frozen foods department. You could bake those and then turn them into crostini if you prefer.
2. Olive Oil: Choose a high quality extra virgin olive oil for making crostini. The flavor of the oil will absolutely shine through in your final appetizer. We are huge fans of Cobram Estates extra virgin olive oil and I can often find it at our regular grocery store.

How to Choose the Best Bread

When selecting your bread for crostini, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Fresh: Head straight to the bakery department. Look for something baked on site or delivered that day.
2. Long & Skinny: Look for a long baguette. They are often 3-inches in diameter or so but can range in length. This is the perfect bread for small appetizer-sized crostini toasts.
3. NOT Sliced: You want the bread to be whole and unsliced so you can cut the slices as thickly as you need for your appetizer. Most bread slicers will cut the bread too thin to hold up to the crostini toppings.
4. Flavor: A French baguette is a very popular white bread for making toast. However, I've also found fresh sourdough bread, Italian bread, whole wheat baguettes, and even rye bread in the appropriate shapes for making toast. Just be sure to match the flavor of the bread with your intended toppings. For example, a rye bread would not be a good choice for bruschetta but would be amazing with a spinach dip topping.

How to Make Crostini at Home

Before you begin, preheat the oven to 375°F.

The first step is to slice your baguette into ½-inch thick slices.

Use a serrated knife and carefully slice the bread on a slight angle for longer pieces or perfectly perpendicular for smaller pieces.

Set out a large metal baking sheet to hold your prepared crostini slices.

Pour a little olive oil into a bowl and brush it onto BOTH SIDES of each piece of bread.

Lay them in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Do not overcrowd the pan, if the bread slices aren't in a single layer they won't toast properly.

Once the bread is coated in oil and laid in a single layer, bake your prepared bread slices for 6 minutes and then flip them over.

Bake another 5 - 6 minutes or until the crostini are perfectly golden brown and crispy.

Make Ahead & Storage Tips

You can make crostini up to 24 hours in advance if you let them cool completely and then store them in an airtight container.

The delicious crispy texture may soften overnight, to restore the texture simply place the crostini on your baking sheet and toast them in the oven for a minute or two.

Just be careful that you don't burn them or overcook them. Just heat them up so they are crispy again.

Crostini Flavor Variations

Want something a little more unique?

Try these flavor twists on classic crostini:

• Garlic Crostini: Rub a fresh cut garlic clove over each toast before baking
• Peppered Crostini: Sprinkle with salt & pepper just before baking
• Spicy Crostini: Sprinkle with roasted red pepper flakes before baking, this would be a great choice for a spicy bruschetta variation
• Herbed Crostini: Sprinkle with fresh thyme or rosemary for an herby bread, this is a great choice for a Thanksgiving appetizer
• Everything But the Bagel Crostini: Sprinkle a prepared "Everything but the Bagel" seasoning over the breads before toasting. This is a great choice for a cream cheese-based spread appetizer

The Best Crostini Appetizers

I think that toasted crostini appetizers are the perfect party food! You can mix and match the toasted baguette slices with a wide variety of easy toppings and let your guests serve themselves.

I place a big basket of fresh crostini on the table alongside a bowl (or two!) of these delicious crostini toppings:

• Classic Tomato Bruschetta: My Italian bruschetta al pomodoro is exactly what you're looking for, but a big bowl of my favorite marinated tomatoes with chopped fresh basil is a very close relative to this traditional Italian appetizer. You could serve it with or without fresh mozzarella like a deconstructed caprese salad.
• Baked Feta with Honey: Warm and melty feta cheese can go sweet or savory.
• Strawberry Bruschetta: Perfect for summer with fresh strawberries and basil in the mix. It pairs so well with a chilled glass of white wine.
• Roast Beef Crostini: For a heartier appetizer, slices of roast beef and horseradish sauce are sprinkled with fresh tomatoes on a baguette toast.
• Peach and Blueberry Salsa: When fresh peaches are in season, don't miss this amazing crostini appetizer with fresh goat cheese!
• Spinach Dip: Not all crostini toppings have to be a salsa type topping. You could spread my easy cold spinach dip over crostini for a simple appetizer.
• Spicy Jalapeño Artichoke Dip: Set out the crostini next to a hot dish of my spicy jalapeño artichoke dip and let guests scoop it up with the toasted bread.
• Easy Cheddar Snack Board: Toasted crostini are perfect for adding to a charcuterie platter or snack board to help make the dish more of a hearty meal.
• French Onion Soup: If you're having an elegant party and want a sit-down appetizer, small bowls of homemade French onion soup with toasted crostini and melted cheese on top are a surefire hit.