If you've ever wondered how to make crostini, I'm here to deliver the good news! Homemade, miniature crostini toasts are super easy to make. This recipe requires just three simple ingredients and it's ready in under 20 minutes.
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Crostini are the perfect pairing for dips like honey whipped goat cheese, whipped cottage cheese or roasted poblano pepper sauce. They're also a great addition to any charcuterie board.
These mini toasts are super popular during the holiday season. Sometimes they're hard to find at the store during the rush as everyone prepares to have guests.
Never fear, you can easily make your own with little effort!
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What Is Crostini?
Crostini are thin, round, toasted bread slices. They're used in Italian appetizers like bruschetta and can be paired with dips, spreads, meats, cheeses and more. They are PERFECT for charcuterie boards!
Today, people think of crostini as a fancy party appetizer which is funny because they likely come from medieval times when peasants ate meals on bread slices due to lack of plates and cutlery. (Source: Wikipedia).
Why Homemade?
They're sold out: The holiday rush hit and all of the bagged, pre-made crostini is gone. That's okay! It's so easy to toast up your own bread slices.
Save a trip: Trying to avoid yet another trip to the grocery store? This crostini recipe is pretty simple, so if you've already got the ingredients on hand you can stay put.
It's so simple: Three ingredients, 20 minutes. This process is straightforward and fool-proof.
Fresh: Pre-made crostini are delicious, but there's just something extra scrumptious about freshly toasted bread.
What You'll Need
- Fresh bread: A long, thinner baguette is preferable. I generally purchase a french bread baguette but other types will work just fine.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil adds nice flavor to your toasts.
- Salt: I love using flaky sea salt, but kosher salt or regular refined table salt will do the trick if that's what you've got on hand.
Instructions Overview
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Slice baguette:
- First things first: preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Place your baguette on a large cutting board and use a sharp, serrated knife to slice bread into rounds approximately ½ inch thick.
Add oil and salt:
- Arrange rounds in a single layer on a large baking sheet, brush them with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Place sheet in the oven and toast slices for 10-15 minutes. You can also kiss your crostini with the broiler to add more golden brown coloring if desired. Just be careful as the broiler is super hot and can easily burn the bread.
Serve and enjoy:
- Serve toasted crostini with your favorite dip, spread and toppings! Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Thickness: I recommend slicing bread into half inch rounds. This will result in crostini that are crisp, very toasty, and hearty enough to hold toppings. If slices are too thick, they won't get crispy enough. Too thin and toasts may break into pieces when toppings are added.
Even slices: For even toasting, uniform slices are important.
Heat: For golden brown crostini, your oven needs to be nice and hot! I have found 400°F (204°C) to be the sweet spot. You can also broil your bread rounds very briefly at the end of bake time to add a touch more color. Be careful, the broiler burns things quickly and easily.
Watch closely: While your bread slices bake, keep a close eye on them. Different types/brands of bread will toast at varying rates. Some will brown quickly and others take longer.
Avoid overcrowding: Use a nice, big sheet pan to keep bread rounds at least half an inch apart. This will help with quick and even toasting.
Let them cool: After bread rounds are toasted, let them sit out for a good hour before storing so that any excess steam and moisture can fully escape. If you don't let the bread cool and dry out, it can lose it's crunch when stored.
Stale bread works! Homemade crostini are a great way to use up stale bread and avoid waste.
What Kind Of Bread Should I Use?
I like using plain white French bread for homemade crostini. Other types of bread will work, though. Really, shape matters most. Any long, thin baguette will be easiest to cut into rounds.
You can also use whole wheat French bread or sourdough. Baguettes made with fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme and cheeses like asiago or parmesan are also awesome for mini toasts.
Be sure to consider what you're serving with crostini before using flavored bread!
Flavorful Recipe Variations!
Oil: Substitute avocado or sesame oil. You can also use an infused olive oil to add fun flavor!
Ghee: Instead of oil, use softened ghee. Ghee is clarified butter, and it has a much higher smoke point than regular butter which comes in handy here since we're toasting our bread at a high temp.
Salt: Infused sea salts are a fun way to mix things up when making crostini at home.
Garlic: Use garlic infused oil or rub a clove of garlic on your bread rounds before toasting. I would only do this if you're pairing your dip with something savory like spinach artichoke dip.
Cooking method: Toast bread on an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan. You can also make crostini in the air fryer.
How To Serve & Toppings
Dips & spreads: Serve with whipped goat or feta cheese, whipped cottage cheese, spinach artichoke dip, fig spread, compound butters and more!
Tomato salads: Mini toasts pair perfectly with peach tomato Caprese salad, tomato burrata salad and refreshing cucumber tomato salad.
Meats & cheeses: Prosciutto, salami or pepperoni! Creamy brie cheese, mozzarella, burrata, cheddar or havarti slices.
Vegetables: Spread a layer of cream cheese on your toasts and top with thin slices of zucchini, cucumber or carrot.
Condiments: Tangy Italian dressing, balsamic vinegar glaze or reduction, hot honey, jam, or fruit preserves.
Tuna salad: Top crostini with regular tuna salad or this flavorful Mexican tuna salad.
Soups: I love dipping crunchy crostini toast in broth! It's amazing with french onion soup, hamburger potato soup or creamy ham and bean.
Special Equipment
This recipe requires fairly common kitchen equipment. You'll need a large cutting board, sharp serrated knife, large baking sheet and a pastry brush.
No pastry brush? Give this pastry brush hack a go if you're in a bind. I tried it with low expectations and it worked better than I thought!
Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions
After toasting, allow crostini to cool fully. If you store them warm, they'll likely lose crispness and crunch.
Place cooled toasts in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Store at room temperature for up to 5-7 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Different breads toast at different rates and some types need to be broiled for golden brown coloring. Now, bread can be plenty toasty without much golden brown coloring. If you want color, turn your oven to the broiler setting briefly while the toasts are still baking. Watch CAREFULLY as they can burn so so easily under the broiler. They'll need only a short time (30 seconds to 2 minutes) under the broiler.
Crostini are mini toasts. Bruschetta is crostini topped in a mixture made from diced tomatoes, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar and other flavorings like garlic or parmesan cheese.
You can purchase pre-made, bagged crostini at most grocery stores. It will often be located in the bakery section along with fresh baked loaves and baguettes. You may also try the cracker isle as boxed options are sometimes available there.
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How To Make Crostini
Equipment
- Large cutting board
- Sharp serrated knife
- Pastry brush *no pastry brush? see note below.
- Large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 large French bread baguette *see note below
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil *see note below
- Sea salt *see note below
Recipe notes:
Pastry brush: I tried this pastry brush hack with low expectations and it actually worked pretty well! Give it a whirl if you don't have a brush at home. Bread: Different types of bread can be used. It's shape that matters most. Look for a long, thin baguette in the bakery section at your local grocery store. Oil: Avocado oil can be substituted. Try an infused olive oil as a fun variation, if desired! Salt: Kosher or regular table salt will do the trick if you don't have sea salt. General: Crostini will be very crisp after toasting! This is a good thing. We need it to be hearty for holding all kinds of different toppings.Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Slice French baguette into even ½ inch rounds.
- Line sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up if desired (I generally don't use parchment when making crostini). Arrange slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Leave a little space between rounds, this will help with quick and even toasting.
- Brush a thin layer of oil onto baguette slices, then sprinkle with salt.
- Bake crostini for 10-15 minutes. For extra golden brown color, you can turn on the oven broiler briefly at the end. Keep a close eye on the toasts while broiling as they can burn easily.
- Remove sheet pan from the oven and allow to cool. Enjoy with your favorite crostini toppings!
How to store:
- Allow crostini to cool completely and place them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Store at room temperature for up to 5-7 days. If toasts are stored warm, then can lost crunch and crispiness.
Air fryer instructions:
- Prep bread slices with oil and salt. Air fry in a single layer at 400℉ for 5-8 minutes. The air fryer will toast slices super fast, so watch them closely! You may need to toast in batches depending on the size of your air fryer basket.
Grill pan instructions:
- Place grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Prep bread slices with oil and salt while your pan preheats. Grill for 3-5 minutes on each side until toasty.
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