Classic Bruschetta5 (1)
The quintessential Italian snack which captures all those classic Italian flavors in one bite. This Classic Bruschetta recipe is simple to prepare and so versatile. Provided you’ve got the core ingredients lying around (which most kitchens do!) you can whip this beautifully healthy dish up any time you want if you’re feeling a little snacky
The Tomatoes you choose are very important to the overall result of this dish. You want Tomatoes that are very ripe, and quite rich in flavor. Our suggestions are Heirloom or Roma Tomatoes. Cherry Tomatoes also work very well
Make your own Bread or buy your own Bread, totally up to you
Depending on how much time you have (and how hungry you are) will likely dictate whether you buy bread or not. If you’re looking to bake your own bread, head over to our dedicated Bread section of the website (LINK) for some great Bread recipes
The key to a Classic Bruschetta Bread is it needs to be super crispy and slightly baked. The classic Italian bread to use is Ciabatta, which has similar characteristics to Sourdough. It has a very crunchy outer crust, and has a light, airy inside that is great for absorbing those lovely Bruschetta flavors
For this recipe we’ve got no issues with you buying store bought bread. In fact, that’s how we made it in these photos! We got our hands on some beautiful Sourdough bread that we had bought in the morning. As always with bread it is best if you eat it straight away to avoid it getting stale. So if you’ve got a hankering for some Bruschetta, head down to the local Bakery in the morning and pick up some delicious fresh bread
The secret to a Classic Bruschetta is rubbing Garlic onto the bread
This is a lovely little trick that infuses an unbelievably amount of garlic flavor onto the bread. There’s no need to finely slice the Garlic, simply peel it and rigorously rub it all over the bread. The flavor and scent from the Garlic will immediately begin to infuse onto the bread
This method is a little easier to do if the bread is warm. So, what we like to do is lightly toast the Bread and as soon as it’s come out of the toaster / oven we begin the application of Garlic. The warm bread will absorb the Garlic a lot quicker, and you will notice it immediately as the bread (and your hands) will start to smell of delicious garlic. Just remember to wash your hands once you’re done!
No need to be picky about which tomatoes to use
We’re not going to tell you that to truly make a Classic Bruschetta you MUST use San Marzano Tomatoes or anything like that. Good food should be easily accessible, and this dish is no exception. The key to a great Bruschetta is simply using Tomatoes that are lovely and ripe
So long as the Tomatoes are ripe, any Tomatoes will do. I’m sure you all likely have your preferences on what tomatoes you like the most, so our recommendation is to use those! Heirloom Tomatoes are great, as are Truss Tomatoes. Roma and San Marzano Tomatoes are, of course excellent too. You can even use Cherry Tomatoes like we did in our photos. So long as they are ripe, and you enjoy the flavor of them – you’ll get a great dish
The final step for a perfect Bruschetta – Drizzle with good quality Olive Oil and Flaky Salt
As part of the recipe, you will be seasoning the Tomatoes as you’re preparing them. However, don’t think that this is all you do in terms of seasoning the Bruschetta. Not at all! For a Classic Bruschetta drizzle some good quality Olive Oil all over the Tomatoes. The Tomatoes will basically drink up that Olive Oil and you’re left with such a wonderful flavor. If you’re like us and love Olive Oil, get liberal with your pouring!
Finally, nothing beats Flaky Salt / Finishing Salt on a dish. Those beautiful Salt flakes can be sprinkled over the Bruschetta just like snowflakes, enhancing the final flavor of the dish. There is rarely a recipe we make that doesn’t get a generous sprinkling of Finishing Salt on it right before eating. This Bruschetta is no exception to that rule!
How do you pronounce Bruschetta?
On a trip we took to Italy we landed at a Milan Hotel in the pouring rain. Starving from a long flight we took to the hotel menu and noticed they were serving up Bruschetta. When ordering, we pronounced it “Bru-ssh-etta”, emphasizing the ‘ssh’ to which we were quickly scolded by our server! “It’s pronounced “Bru-Sk-tta’, where he definitely emphasized the ‘SK’! Forever since that day we’ll always ensure we pronounce the right way to not get in trouble!
Recipe Details
1 – 4 people
5 minutes
NA
5 minutes
Classic Bruschetta Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices of Crusty Bread (Sourdough or Ciabatta recommended)
- 4 Garlic Cloves, Peeled
- ½ lb. Fresh Tomatoes, Chopped
- ½ cup Basil Leaves, roughly Cut
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Cut your Bread into 1-inch-thick slices. Any bread will work fine to make Bruschetta but we recommend a bread that can get nice and crusty when lightly toasted. Sourdough is a great option for this reason, also that the air pockets you typically get with Sourdough are fantastic vessels for holding the delicious Tomato juices!
- Lightly toast the bread. You could either broil it or toast in a frying pan. We want the bread to get lovely and crispy with some charred edges
- Rub a piece of Garlic liberally all over the toasted bread. This is a lovely trick to infuse the bread with a rich garlic flavor. You can discard the Garlic once completed, just make sure you’ve given the bread a good coating. It’s easy to tell as the bread should smell wonderfully garlicky once applied
- Place the Tomatoes and Basil on top of the bread, drizzle with some good Olive Oil and finish with Flakey Salt. Enjoy!
Enjoy this lovely Classic Bruschetta as a snack or something tasty for Lunch. It is also a great meal as an appetizer for a larger meal! Please feel free to head over to our Dinner section here for some amazing dinner meals to pair with this beautiful starter
For more delicious Bread based recipes check out our dedicated Bread section here. We’ve got a load of delicious dishes there, such as these favorites of ours:
Happy Cooking!
