A quick recipe for how to make crostini, crispy little pieces of toast ready for you favourite toppings, dunking and scooping!
Crostini use suggestions: canapés with toppings, for dips (especially excellent with Baked Brie), side dish for meals such as Acqua Pazza (Italian Fish in Tomato Sauce), dunking into Soups and stews!
“Crostini” means “little crusts” (ie. “little toasts”) in Italian and that’s exactly what they are: Thin slices of bread, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with salt then baked until crisp. It’s typically used to pile on toppings though I’m a fan of using crostini for dunking and scooping at every opportunity.
This is just a short and sweet tutorial for how to make crostini which I decided to publish separately because I’ve been using it quite regularly for recipes I’ve been sharing. Saves me writing the same recipe in the notes over and over again!
How to make crostini
To make crostini, just brush thinly sliced bread with olive oil, sprinkle with salt then bake for 10 minutes at 180°C/350°F until crispy.
For optional extra deliciousness, lightly rub the hot crostini with the cut face of a garlic clove. This is an Italian secret that makes bruschetta so delicious!
Best bread for crostini
The best bread to use for crostini is one that’s got a bit of structure and heft to it, such as:
ciabatta
pane di casa / pain de campagne
stone-baked loaf
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!
Bread size – I use the thin baguettes, then I slice them differently depending on what I’m using the crostini for.
Long crostini – slice on an extreme angle for long ones. I typically use long crostini when I’m using crostini as a dunker or serving on the side of a meal.
Short / small crostini – cut on less of an angle to make smaller pieces when you want to use the crostini for bite size canapés.
What to use crostini for
Toppings – For hand held, bite size canapés or a light meal. See Toppings for Crostini.
On the side of meals, to use for scooping and dunking! Soups and stews are ideal. Specifically, crostini was used in the following recipes I’ve recently shared:
Acqua Pazza – Italian Fish in “Crazy Water”
Crostini served with Italian Crusted Sardines 
Crostini Appetizers 
Acqua Pazza Italian Poached Fish served with crostini
No video today, because it’s a quick and easy recipe. 🙂
Enjoy! – Nagi x
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Crostini – toasted bread for toppings and dunking
Ingredients
- 1 crusty baguette , thin
- salt
- 1 – 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (depends how many crostini you're making)
Optional garlic flavour (recommended!)
- 1 garlic 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.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
No crostini for Dozer, garlic is bad for dogs! And no cake for you, either.
I have been waiting to make these, but sardines haven’t been available.
Found some !! Tomorrow is the day !!!! Yummy
I love sardines! So tasty!! N x
Double bake these (like you would biscotti), let them cool completely and store in the fridge – they last for weeks and weeks and still taste awesome just lightly toasted.
Man, even your crostini looks amazingly gorgeous.
Ba ha ha! Thank you for the compliment! N x