How to Make Crostini

six pieces of bread, toasted on a baking tray, with some garlic cloves around the edge.

Once you discover how to make crostini, you will never again resort to the store-bought varieties. It is quick, easy and inexpensive to make your own and there are countless ways in which to use them. Crostini, which translates from Italian as “little crusts” or “little toasts”, are slices of bread, usually baguette, which are baked or grilled until they are crisp and golden.

Course Appetiser, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 18

Servings crostini

Calories 28kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

1 large baguette See Note 1
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil See Note 2
1 clove garlic
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees C (350 F).
To prepare the crostini, cut the narrow ends off the baguette and set aside. (Use them as a snack). Slice the bread thinly, about 1 cm/a little more than ¼ inch. – see Note 3
Add the olive oil to a small bowl and brush it on each side of the bread. Then, season one side with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the slices of baguette on a baking tray and put in the pre-heated oven for about 8 minutes, turning halfway through. Bake the toasts until they are lightly golden and crisp to the touch. Keep an eye on them, they overcook very quickly. I like mine to be light golden and crispy. If they become very hard they are difficult to bite.
Remove them from the oven and rub each bread slice with a cut clove of garlic. Leave to cool on the baking tray.
Store the crostini in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

Choose good quality bread. Day-old bread is fine. If it is older than that, ensure that it is not too dry or the toasts will be tough and difficult to eat.
For the best flavour, use good quality olive oil. I have used extra virgin olive oil.
For small slices, suitable for finger food, slice straight across the baguette. If you would like larger slices, slice the bread on the diagonal.
Please note, the nutritional information is based on one crostini. It does not include any toppings you may choose to serve with it. The nutritional information is an estimate only.

Nutrition