Making Perfect Crostini

Crostini with Burrata, Basil and Sundried Tomatoes

Crostini, in Italian means “little toasts”. They are made by slicing bread very thin and then toasting it until it becomes crisp. I love using a sourdough baguette to make mine because each crostini is the perfect size to easily hold in your hand. If I need/want to have bigger crostini I use ciabatta.

Crostini can be eaten plain or used as the base for appetizers. Here are some of our favorites… warm fresh mozzarella with prosciutto and crispy sage; cream cheese with smoked salmon, capers and red onion; ricotta, basil and sundried tomato puree; wild mushroom with goat cheese, sliced marinated beef with mustard sauce, etc… the variations are endless.

I usually serve crostini instead of crackers. It’s perfect with all kinds of cheese and dips. They also make great croutons for soup, plain or with a little cheese melted on them. I’ve even broken a few up and tossed them on my salad.

For my recipe below I just used salt and pepper, but If you’d like, you can use your favorite herbs and spices. I sometimes take a clove of garlic and rub it on each warm crostini right when they come out of the oven.  I love the way the garlic just melts into the warm toasted bread. Then you can top them however you want.

One baguette makes approximately 50 crostini.

INGREDIENTS
1 baguette (I buy the sourdough baguette from Trader Joe’s)
½ cup of olive oil
sea salt
ground black pepper

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the baguette into thin even slices. Place slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper.

Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until crisp and a light golden color. Keep an eye on them, as they can burn easily.

You can store crostini easily at room temperature in an airtight container for about a week but, with the way we all love them, they never last that long around our household!