This easy crostini recipe will show you how to transform stale bread into crispy, yummy toasts. Perfect for making appetisers, or just as a tasty snack.
The word crostini comes from Italian, meaning ‘little toasts’, but they are way more than just a little bit of toast! With a glug of good olive oil, some heat and a rub of garlic, leftover bread is transformed into incredibly moreish and delightfully crunchy crostini.
And they go with everything! They can be both simple or fancy. We like to snack on them as bread chips or dip them in soup for a simple meal. And for special occasions, you can be as extravagant with the toppings as you like!
Crostini is best made with a white bread. An artisan or sourdough baguette is ideal. If you plan on serving them with toppings, a closer crumb baguette is best, rather than something like a ciabatta with lots of holes.
Crostini are great for using up stale bread, but you can make them with fresh bread too.
How to make crostini
Making crostini is super easy. Cut the bread into thin slices, brush them with olive oil and bake them on both sides until they are crisp and golden brown.
Step 1 - Slice the bread about ¼ inch slices (~5 mm).
Step 2 - Brush the slices with olive oil.
We slice the baguettes diagonally, so they come out slightly longer and look fab with those angled sides.
If you want to flavour the crostini with some spices, mix them into the oil before brushing it onto the slices of bread.
Step 3 - Bake the crostini at 190C for 12-14 minutes.
How long exactly they will take in the oven depends on how thick you cut the bread, as well as how well preheated the oven is. For an even baking, we flip the crostini after 7 minutes and continue to bake for about 5 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Flavouring crostini
The traditional Italian way of flavouring crostini is to rub them with a piece of fresh garlic when they are still hot out of the oven. Then sprinkle a little bit of sea salt on top.
We also like a variation with spices, which we mix into the oil (along with the salt) before brushing the bread slices. Then they are quite similar to those flavoured double baked bread chips you can find at the shops!
Our favourite combination is smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Some dried herbs would also make a great option.
It’s so easy and quick to make crostini, and they are so tasty that it’s become our standard way to eat white bread.
Serve them with
You can enjoy these crostini plain with salads, soups or just as a crunchy snack.
Topped crostini make a great light meal or party snack. In the zero waste spirit, they are perfect for using up odds and ends in your fridge, whether it’s that half avocado, last bit of salad or spoonful of hummus! Get creative and have fun.
Here’s some great vegan crostini topping ideas for you to try:
- Almond ricotta
- Vegan mozzarella, tomato and basil
- Garlic and herb cheese
- Mushroom pate
- Hummus
- Cranberry sauce
- Carrot lox
- Roasted red peppers
Add the toppings just before serving, so that the crostini don’t go soggy.
Storage
Allow your crostini to cool down completely, and then transfer them to an airtight container. They are best eaten fresh, but should stay crispy for up to a week.
You can also freeze the baked crostini in an airtight bag. If necessary, toast or briefly grill them to crisp them up again.
You can also freeze them before baking. Freeze the sliced and oiled bread, and then bake them directly from frozen.
🌱 This post is part of our USE IT UP! resource - helping you waste less in the kitchen. Be inspired to make the most of every bit of your produce, and learn ways to love your leftovers! 🌱
📖 Recipe
Easy Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 (200 g) baguette
- 3 tbsp olive oil
For garlic crostini
- 1 clove garlic
- sea salt to sprinkle
For smoky paprika crostini
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Slice the bread into about ½ cm thin slices (¼ inch).1 (200 g) baguette
- If you are making the smoky paprika crostini, then mix the spices into the olive oil now.3 tbsp olive oil
- Lay the slices of bread out on a baking tray and brush them with the olive oil on each side.½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp sea salt
- Bake the crostini in the fan oven at 190°C (375°F) for 7 minutes, then turn them over and bake the other side for 5-7 minutes until crispy and light golden.
- For the garlic crostini, rub them with a fresh clove of garlic and sprinkle with fine sea salt while still hot.1 clove garlic, sea salt
Notes
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
Rick Wilson says
Hi there. I'm yet to try the Crostini recipe but I think you ought to edit the article. All of your photographs of Crostini show the bread measuring about half to five eighths of an inch. Yet reading the recipe you state that you should cut the bread in slices of an eight to a quarter of an inch.
Not only would the Crostini cook too quickly, if you did manage it, they would be so brittle they would be useless. Furthermore cutting bread that thinly isn't an easy task at all.
So, I will try the recipe by cutting the bread about half an inch thick - I'm fairly sure they will be delicious.
Many thanks,
Rick Wilson
Bournemouth, England
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Rick,
Maybe it's unclear to see in the pictures (or maybe it's our small hands?), but we did cut the crostini about 1/4 inch thick. Our bread knife had no trouble at all with the baguette we used. We like them this thin. They go wonderfully crispy and once baked, they keep for two weeks or longer. We actually kept a few in an airtight container as a test, and after three weeks, they are still as crispy and tasty as on the day we baked them.
I know people's tastes and personal preferences differ, and this is simply how we make and like our crostini.
If you or others like them less well done or thicker, then I encourage them adjust the slice thickness or baking time to your taste. 🙂 I hope you enjoyed making and eating your crostini!
Best wishes, Paul