“Crostini” means “little crusts” (ie. “little toasts”) in Italian and that’s exactly what they are: Thin, small slices of bread, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, toasted until crisp and then piled with toppings or used for for dunking.Rubbing with garlic is optional - but it really does add that special touch!See in post for ideas for toppings and other dishes ideal for serving with crostini.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer
Keyword: Crostini
Servings: 2
Calories: 599cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
1crusty baguette, thin
salt
1 - 3tbspextra virgin olive oil(depends how many crostini you're making)
Optional garlic flavour (recommended!)
1garlic clove, halved (for rubbing, optional)
Instructions
Slice bread:
Small crostini (for canapes) - slice bread 0.5cm / 1/4-inch thick on the diagonal.
Large crostini (for serving on the side of dishes) - Cut on a diagonal, 1cm / 1/3" thick.
Bake:
Preheat oven (all types):- Small crostini to 160°C/325°F- Large crostini to 180°C/350°F
Brush olive oil lightly on bread, sprinkle with a bit of salt. Flip and repeat. Bake 10 minutes, turning halfway, or until fully crispy.
Rub bread lightly on one side with cut face of garlic. Use warm if serving with a dish, or cool if piling on toppings.
Notes
1. Bread type – Best to use a bread that's got a bit of structure and heft to it: ciabatta, pane di casa / pain de campagne, stone-baked loaf or a sourdough. If you use the soft white baguettes, the crostini will soak through immediately once sauced and just become soggy. You want it to stay crispy even once sauced so you can pile it up with the fish and vegetables – it's the best eating experience!Crostini size - depends on the use. Cut them small if you want bite size canapés (see here for toppings), or on an extreme diagonal if you want long pieces (for example, if using to scoop things up when serving with a main dish like Acqua PazzaItalian Poached Fish).2. 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. Shave off 62 cal per serving by reducing cooking olive oil from 2 tbsp down to 1 tbsp.