How To Make Crostini

Follow this step-by-step guide to make the perfect crostini every time! The little toasts are great as an appetizer and the topping possibilities are truly endless.

What are crostini?

They’re an Italian appetizer made from small slices of grilled or toasted bread and (most of the time) toppings. The toppings vary, and include anything from different cheeses, proteins, vegetables, and nuts.

How to use crostini:

• Topped with various toppings as an appetizer (for a party possibly)
• As an accompaniment to soup like this swiss chard soup– you can just toast them and leave them without toppings (or just rubbed with fresh garlic and drizzled with olive oil)
• As an accompaniment to salad (again can leave them without toppings here)
• Serve with eggs in purgatory

What is the difference between bruschetta and crostini?

Bruschetta and crostini are very similar, but with slight differences.

They are both appetizers/snacks consisting of bread with various toppings. When it comes to toppings, a classic tomato bruschetta is made with warm baked bread, and once out of the oven, a garlic clove is rubbed over it to impart its flavor. It is then topped with a tomato and olive oil mixture. Other very simple toppings can be used on a bruschetta but a tomato bruschetta as described is the most classic and widely known in Italy.

Crostini on the other hand are served with a greater variety of toppings. There’s not one classic crostini topping like the traditional bruschetta described above.

Crostini are usually smaller than bruschetta and brushed with oil before baking/grilling. Bruschetta uses larger pieces of bread and is usually not brushed with oil before baking.

Different breads are also used (contributing to the difference in sizes). Bruschetta is made with artisan/Italian/sourdough bread with a crunchy outer crust and a soft inner crumb. Crostini are usually made with baguettes.

How to cut the bread:

There’s two main different ways to cut the baguette: crosswise or on the bias. Always cut the bread with a serrated knife so you can saw the bread instead of squishing it down.

Cutting the bread crosswise will give less surface area for toppings, so it depends on if you want to be able to fit more ingredients on your crostini, or if you’re ok with less. This option would be good if you’re making lots of different types of crostini and prefer smaller ones.

Cutting the bread on the bias provides more surface area for toppings. It’s also better to hold larger ingredients (like broccoli rabe, sliced zucchini, etc) that need more support.

Different methods to make crostini:

Method 1: Bake

You can bake sliced bread in the oven. The good thing about the baking method is that it’s easy to make a large amount of crostini at once (you may have to use multiple sheet trays). All you have to do is slice the bread and pop it into the oven.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Slice the baguette and arrange on baking sheets
3. Brush with olive oil
4. Bake in the oven for approximately 12 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping halfway through

Method 2: Grill

Grilling the baguette slices gives beautiful grill marks to the crostini. It’s a good method to use if you have a small number of crostini to make, and if you want to impress your guests with the grill marks. With grilling, it takes more care and attention than baking, as they require more attention.

1. Brush the bread slices with extra virgin olive oil on both sides.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the slices to the pan, and grill for 2-4 minutes on each side, until grill marks form.
3. Remove from the pan and let them cool slightly.

Method 3: Fry

Frying the crostini in olive oil gives the bread a beautiful rich flavor (more so than the baking or grilling method). This is also a good method to use if you are making a small number of crostini, since they require care and attention. It’s also not possible to make large numbers of crostini at once with this method.

1. In a cast iron pan, heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Add the bread slices to the pan (working in batches). Sauté them on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side).
3. Remove from the pan and let them cool slightly.

Can they be made ahead of time?

You will get the best crostini by serving them immediately after toasting, but you can prepare the bread slices ahead of time by baking/grilling or frying them with the methods described above. I would not recommend topping them too far ahead of time though. The toppings should be added and then served immediately.

If you are baking the bread ahead of time, you can store them for 2-3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Serving crostini:

When I prepare crostini, whether it’s for a get-together or just for my family, I like to place them on a large circular plate, or my favorite way to serve them is to place them on a rectangular wooden board. They look so pretty displayed this way.

Can they be served cold?

It depends on your toppings, but crostini are best served warm or at room temperature, as opposed to cold.

Can they be frozen?

Yes! Just slice the bread as described in this post, brush with extra virgin olive oil on both sides, and freeze them in plastic bags (without the toppings).

When you’re ready to use them, place the frozen slices on a baking sheet and pop them into a preheated oven.

Since the bread is frozen, you may need to add a few more minutes of baking time. Add the toppings once baked.

Topping tips/ideas:

There’s so many toppings for crostini. Ranging from simple to serving them with no toppings alongside a soup, to super intricate and elaborate toppings. The possibilities are endless!

Crostini Formula:

I like following a certain formula to make my crostini. It’s not a strict rule, but if you’re looking to build a delicious crostino (singular for crostini), this can help in coming up with the perfect creation.

1. Choose a base – like a spread or a spreadable/soft cheese
   • Some of my favorite bases are: any type of pesto (like arugula pesto, pistachio pesto, or zucchini pesto) burrata or ricotta
2. Add the main ingredients
   • Once you have the base, add ingredients that will add substance to the crostini and be the star of the show. This can be a protein such a prociutto/speck, roasted/canned vegetables, or both!
3. Add your finishes
   • This is what you will finish your crostini off with, and they just add a final touch of flavor. Examples include chopped nuts and fresh herbs.

Specific topping ideas:

1. Arugula pesto with sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives and pine nuts
2. Burrata with roasted tomatoes, olive oil and basil
3. Burrata with pistachio pesto and mortadella
4. Whipped ricotta with roasted butternut squash and crispy speck
5. Whipped ricotta with roasted tomatoes, honey and thyme

Top tips:

• How to tell when they’re ready: whether you’re baking, grilling or frying them, the crostini should be lightly golden in color
• When brushing the crostini, extra virgin olive oil is the best oil to use. It imparts a beautiful rich flavor.
• Baguette is the classic bread for crostini, but sandwich rolls or ciabatta bread will work well too.

If you’ve tried making these Crostini, or any other recipe on the blog please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’ve been up to.

1