Crostini couldn't be simpler to make or more versatile to use. Meaning "toasts" in Italian, they are the perfect base for your pick of toppings—and once you learn how to make crostini, they’ll become your go-to appetizer for co*cktail parties, cookouts, and more.
All you need to make crostini is a loaf of white bread, such as a simple Italian loaf or a baguette. Slice it evenly, brush with a little olive oil on both sides, and toast just enough to crisp, not darken, the slices. You can make crostini ahead and then pair with one (or more) of our favorite toppings for your next party.
Crostini is Italian for toasts. These simple toasts are generally made with sliced white bread, brushed with olive oil, and lightly toasted until crisp. Once toasted, crostini are ready to top with all kinds of fresh, grilled, or roasted vegetables, creamy spreads, cheese, fruit, sliced meats, and more.
Bruschetta is another type of Italian toast and the terms are often used interchangeably but generally crostini are smaller (jus right for a couple of bites as an appetizer) and are baked, while bruschetta are often larger, thicker, and grilled.
The Best Bread for Crostini
It’s just not crostini if you toast regular sliced white bread or a rich loaf like brioche or challah. 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!
Directions
Preheat oven and brush bread with oil:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange baguette slices on two large rimmed baking sheets; brush both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes (if undersides are not browning, turn crostini over once during baking). Let cool on baking sheets.
Top and serve:
Top crostini with desired toppings, and serve.
Variation
For an extra layer of flavor, use a garlic- or herb-infused oil in place of the olive oil.
Making Crostini Ahead
To plan ahead for a party, bake the crostini toasts up to a week in advance, and top just before serving. To store, keep at room temperature in a resealable plastic bag, up to one week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you serve crostini hot or cold?
Crostini are usually served cold (and can be made ahead) but there’s no reason you can’t make them and eat them while they are still warm with a room temperature topping like chopped fresh tomatoes and basil, or spread with creamy goat cheese.
What is the ideal texture of a well-toasted crostini?
When baking crostini, remember that you aren’t looking to color the bread as much as dry it out so it makes a crispy base for toppings. The ideal texture is crisp on the outside so that toppings don’t soak into the bread too much—with a little softness to the interior.
Try a favorite spread or pâté, sliced tomatoes and a fresh herb, or spread a soft cheese, add some black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. These are some of our other favorite ways to top 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!
If the crostini is too hard, it will hurt your guests' mouths and flake all over their clothes. The ideal texture: crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. To achieve it, grill or broil bread over high heat, making sure to toast both sides.
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 bread can be toasted a few hours in advance of serving. I would not recommend adding the toppings until 10-15 minutes before serving. This way, the bread won't get soggy from the toppings. If you are planning a party where guests will be arriving at different times, you can always make a crostini bar.
Add toppings immediately prior to serving; otherwise the crostini will get soggy. Crostini taste best when they are freshly toasted, but you can make the crostini toasts up to 3 to 4 days in advance. Cool completely and store in an airtight container. Be aware, they might get slightly more crunchy/hard as time goes on.
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.
Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. In the microwave: Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place it on a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on high for 10 seconds. Check and repeat if necessary.
Storage – Baked, cooled crostini can be stored in an airtight container for 5 days, sometimes even longer. 3. Nutrition per serving, assuming 2 slices of crostini.
Both are Italian words but you may notice that bruschetta is singular and crostini is plural, that's a clue to the way in which they are traditionally served. Bread should be grilled or broiled to some degree of char to be called bruschetta, and it's always heavenly.
Choose a loaf of Italian bread, such as ciabatta, for a more traditional bruschetta. This recipe uses slices of French bread, like a baguette. Slice the bread on the diagonal at least ¼-inch thick or more to make an oval shape.
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!
Crostini: Meaning "little toasts" in Italian, crostini are small, thin slices of toasted bread, which are usually brushed with olive oil. The word also describes canapés consisting of small slices of toast with a savory topping such as cheese, shrimp, pâté or anchovies.
Avoid heavy, dense breads that might be difficult to chew. Crostini appetizers are best on bread with a light texture. Choose a baguette and cut slices about ½ inch thick. If they're too thin, they won't support the topping.
Canape: A canape is a type of hors d'oeuvre, or small, single-bite food, that is traditionally made with a base of a small piece of bread with some sort of topping. Crostini: The Italian word means little toasts. The thin slices of bread are toasted, drizzles with olive oil, and served warm.
Crusty French Bread also called French Baguettes. This long thin Crusty French Bread is one of my favorite bread. Crusty French Bread has crisp outer crust but soft and chewy inside. You could eat this freshly baked baguettes with soups or stews or make you own choice subs.
“A bruschetta is a kind of open sandwich and it's probably where the idea for cheese on toast originally came from. It's normally made from a large loaf of sourdough natural yeast bread, which is a dark grey colour and has a higher water content than usual in the dough.
Address: 998 Estell Village, Lake Oscarberg, SD 48713-6877
Phone: +21813267449721
Job: Technology Engineer
Hobby: Swimming, Do it yourself, Beekeeping, Lapidary, Cosplaying, Hiking, Graffiti
Introduction: My name is Reed Wilderman, I am a faithful, bright, lucky, adventurous, lively, rich, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/MSL-340368-simple-crostini-hero-horiz-0823-20b6e1ee4db245afac2057662ed75aec.jpg "How to Make Crostini (1)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/MSL-340368-simple-crostini-ingredients-0823-a15acb1ff4e246e0bf6dcfacc718133b.jpg "How to Make Crostini (2)")
See AlsoCrostini:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/MSL-340368-simple-crostini-step1-0823-62f85187b900447bb171696212d346dd.jpg "How to Make Crostini (3)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/MSL-340368-simple-crostini-step2-0823-fcc33c376250414eabfffe4c92cf8ee7.jpg "How to Make Crostini (4)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/MSL-340368-simple-crostini-step3-0823-8d23a4ad58d34ce994f1848ae371ae1f.jpg "How to Make Crostini (5)")
