If ever a dish was designed to show off good bread, it's this one. Bruschetta is barely a recipe, it's toast with confidence. Which is exactly why it only works when the bread is worth eating on its own.
It's also the dish my husband polices most closely in our house. The rules, as dictated: the bread gets properly toasted, the garlic gets rubbed, never chopped, and the tomatoes don't touch the bread until the moment you eat
Ingredients
Makes 8 pieces: feeds four polite people or two honest ones
- 8 slices of sourdough, about ¾ inch thick (a day-two or day-three loaf is perfect here)
- 2 large ripe tomatoes - On the Vine variety if possible as they have a thinner skin compared to Roma varieties
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
- A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
- Good extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
Steps
- Dice the tomatoes, toss them with a small pinch of salt, and let them sit in a colander for 10 minutes. This drains off the water that would otherwise turn your toast sad and soggy.
- Toast the bread until it's deep golden and crisp at the edges but still has some chew in the middle. A grill pan gives you the proper char marks; the broiler or a toaster works fine and nobody will report you.
- While the toast is still hot, rub each slice firmly with the whole garlic clove. The crust works like a grater and melts the garlic straight into the bread — this is the step that makes it bruschetta instead of just tomato toast.
- Toss the drained tomatoes with the basil and a generous pour of olive oil.
- Spoon the tomatoes onto the toast at the very last second. Finish with another thread of oil and a pinch of flaky salt. Eat immediately, ideally standing over the kitchen counter.