Tomato Bruschetta
This is an exercise in timing. If you dress the tomatoes too early, they bleed out and soften your toast; if you toast the bread too early, it loses that essential charred bite.
Use the best tomatoes you can find.
Because there are only a handful of ingredients, every one of them is visible. Choose tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and a loaf of bread with a sturdy, crackly crust.
- serrated bread knife
- heavy-bottomed skillet or grill pan
- mixing bowl
- garlic press or microplane
What goes in.
- 4 largeripe tomatoes, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cupfresh basil leaves, stacked and chiffonade-cut
- 2 clovesgarlic, finely grated
- 3 tbspextra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 tspflaky sea salt
- 1 thickcountry-style sourdough loaf, cut into 1-inch thick slices
Brushing the toast with raw garlic
After the bread comes off the heat, take a peeled raw garlic clove and rub the cut side firmly across the rough, toasted surface. The heat of the bread melts the oils of the garlic into the crumb, providing a sharp punch without the bite of raw chunks.
The method.
Macerate the tomatoes
In a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, grated garlic, half the basil, and a healthy pinch of salt. Let this sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the bread; the salt will pull moisture from the tomatoes to create a light, bright brine.
Toast the bread
Brush both sides of your sourdough slices with olive oil. Place them in a preheated grill pan or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until deep brown char marks appear, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Infuse the bread
Immediately pull the bread from the heat. Rub one side of each slice with a whole, peeled garlic clove until the bread looks slightly translucent where the garlic has worn down.
Assemble
Drain the excess liquid from the tomato mixture using a slotted spoon. Distribute the tomatoes over the toasted bread, garnish with the remaining fresh basil, and finish with a light drizzle of fresh olive oil.
Other turns to take.
Balsamic Finish
Drizzle a small amount of high-quality balsamic glaze over the top just before serving for a deeper, sweeter profile.
Whipped Ricotta
Spread a layer of salted, whipped ricotta on the toast before adding the tomato mixture to add a creamy texture.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Discard the watery seed pulp from the tomatoes before dicing them; this prevents the bread from turning into a soggy mess.
Do not put the toast in the oven. The direct heat of a skillet creates a crunch that an oven-baked slice simply cannot replicate.
If the tomatoes aren't particularly flavorful, add a small splash of sherry vinegar to the mix to brighten the acidity.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I make the tomato mixture ahead of time?
You can prepare the tomatoes, but keep them in the refrigerator and leave the salt out until 15 minutes before you are ready to serve. Adding salt too early will draw out too much water.
Which bread works best?
A country-style sourdough or a rustic ciabatta are the best choices because they have open, airy structures that trap the tomato juices and olive oil.
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