How To make Crostini Recipe
Golden, crisp, olive-oil kissed crostini are the little black dress of Italian entertaining. With just a baguette, good extra-virgin olive oil, and sea salt, you get the perfect crunchy base for everything from juicy tomato bruschetta to creamy white bean dip. Simple. Rustic. Absolutely irresistible.
Servings: 24 servings
Ingredients
- 1 crusty baguette French bread, about 10–12 ounces
- 3 –4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil use good quality
- Fine sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven (or a gas grill) to 450°F. I prefer baking directly on a bare, rimmed baking sheet, no parchment. The direct contact helps the bottoms get beautifully golden and crisp.
- Slice the baguette on a diagonal into ½-inch slices. You should get about 24 slices, depending on the size of your loaf.
- Arrange the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. You want them coated but not soaked.
- Bake on the middle rack for 7–10 minutes, until the tops are golden and the edges are crisp. For extra crunch, flip the slices halfway through baking.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
- Transfer to a serving platter and use as desired. Serve with bruschetta topping, white bean dip, marinated olives, whipped ricotta, bread dipping oil, or marinated mozzarella. Leftovers can be pulsed into homemade breadcrumbs.
Notes
Elena’s Best Tips
- Use day-old bread for extra crunch; it holds its structure better.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan; airflow gives you crisp edges.
- Want extra flavor? Rub a raw garlic clove lightly over the hot crostini right after baking. That's more bruschetta style!
- If they brown too quickly, lower the rack slightly.
Nutrition
Serving: 26g | Calories: 28kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.5g | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.4mg
