Bruschetta

It starts with slices of rustic bread toasted or grilled until crisp at the edges. While still warm, the bread is rubbed with a cut garlic clove and drizzled with olive oil; chopped tomato and basil are a familiar topping, but not the only one.

Choose a sturdy loaf with an open crumb, such as sourdough or ciabatta, so it holds toppings without turning soggy. Cut it into slices about 1.5 cm thick.

Arrange the bread slices on a tray and bake at 200 °C for about 8–10 minutes, turning once, until crisp and lightly golden. Rub with garlic and add the topping just before serving.

Remove the watery seeds from ripe tomatoes, then drain the chopped flesh briefly in a sieve. Spoon it onto the toast just before eating, rather than leaving it to sit on the bread.

Toast the bread and prepare the topping separately, then keep them apart until serving. Add tomato, basil and olive oil at the last moment; assembled bruschetta softens quickly.

Freeze the toasted bread slices without toppings, in a sealed bag, for up to about three months. Re-crisp them straight from frozen in a hot oven, then add fresh toppings.

Bruschetta is usually made from larger slices of rustic bread, grilled or toasted and rubbed with garlic. Crostini are generally smaller, thinner pieces of bread, often toasted until crisp and served with toppings.

Try grilled aubergine or courgette with herbs, mashed cannellini beans with rosemary, or ricotta with roasted peppers. Keep the topping fairly dry and add it shortly before serving so the toast stays crisp.