Traditional Italian Bread (Makes 2 loaves)
Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
5½ cups bread flour
Directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the sugar, salt, olive oil and 3 cups of the four. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Use up to an additional ¼ cup flour if too wet. Allow the machine to knead the dough at low-medium speed for 8 minutes.
Turn onto a floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl greased with olive oil, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven (Can use an inverted baking sheet if you don’t have a stone). Place a metal pan on the bottom rack to preheat also. Preheat oven to 425° for at least an hour. The stone must be heated through.
Punch the dough down gently. Turn onto a floured surface and divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into a loaf. Place each loaf seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
With a sharp knife, make three shallow cuts across the top of each loaf. Place dough in the oven on top of the pizza stone and pour hot water into the metal pan to create steam. Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and they sound hollow when tapped. Place onto wire racks to cool.
Bruschetta
This is the ultimate summer party appetizer and a great way to use up those sweet and juicy summer tomatoes. We grow tomatoes and basil in our garden and homegrown ingredients will make the best bruschetta you will try!
We recreated this bruschetta recipe after trying it on a date night at Bardonay – a fancy restaurant in Eagle, Idaho. We ordered their bruschetta as an appetizer and my husband and I were smitten.
The way they toasted their bread with cheese and drizzled all over with balsamic glaze was a winning combination and we couldn’t stop eating it. You’ll love how easy it is to re-create this restaurant-quality appetizer at home. The flavor profile makes me think of the classic Caprese Salad.
What is Bruschetta?
Bruschetta is pronounced ‘brusketa’ in Italian. Most people think bruschetta is referring to the tomato topping but it’s actually referring to the toasted bread which is typically served with tomatoes or a variety of toppings.
Adding cheese to the toasts adds a little salty bite and makes them irresistible. You’ll want to munch on them before you even add the toppings.
Ingredients for Tomato Bruschetta:
- Roma Tomatoes – firmer and less juicy than other varieties, these are ideal for bruschetta. Dicing with a food chopper makes the process quick and easy.
- Basil – for best results use fresh basil (not dried)
- Garlic – add this to taste. We love plenty of garlic and use 4 cloves for the tomatoes and 1 clove for the toasts.
- Balsamic vinegar – adds a rich layer of flavor
- Extra virgin olive oil – using the best quality extra virgin will give you the best flavor.
- Salt and Pepper – this simple seasoning is all you need.
Pro-Tip: Drain off the excess juice from the tomatoes once they are diced. The flavors of your tomato topping will be better and more concentrated.
How to Chop Basil:
Basil is a delicate herb so be careful not to crush it. The best method for chopping basil is to Chiffonade – you want to chop it once and not go over it again with a knife as you would with parsley or the leaves will become bruised.
- Stack the basil leaves and gently roll them together into a tube.
- Use a sharp knife for a clean cut through the basil leaves
- Chiffonade – or thinly slice the rolled basil into thin ribbons.
How to Make Bruschetta Toasts:
This process couldn’t be easier. Infusing the olive oil with minced garlic then topping them with a little parmesan is an easy way to turn these into the best tasting garlic parmesan bruschetta.
- Infuse oil with minced garlic and brush onto both sides of toasts.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 400˚F for 5 minutes then broil 1-2 minutes until golden.
How to Serve Bruschetta:
For this classic tomato bruschetta, we arrange the toasts on a platter and keep the tomato mixture in a separate bowl. This way, everyone can assemble their own bruschetta and the toasts will stay crisp under the tomatoes.
Biting through a crunchy toast topped with juicy tomatoes is a delicious mouthful.
Can I Freeze Bruschetta?
The tomato mixture is best enjoyed fresh and I would not recommend freezing it. Frozen tomatoes will become mealy and won’t look or taste vibrant after thawing.
The toasts could be made a day ahead and even frozen for longer storage. Before serving, thaw and re-crisp in the oven or air fryer.
More Fresh Tomato Recipes:
When our garden tomatoes are ripe (and we always have tons), we love finding creative ways to use them up. This bruschetta and the tomato recipes below are the ones we make over and over.
P.S. To make the most of our extra tomatoes, we make as many batches of Roasted Tomato Salsa and stock up our freezer for winter.
- BLT Sandwich – nothing more satisfying than biting into a thick slice of tomato
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad – our most popular salad for years
- Easy Marinated Tomatoes – a satisfying side dish that keeps well refrigerated
- Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad – with our favorite creamy dressing
- Canned Tomatoes – to preserve a bumper crop of tomatoes
Classic Italian Bruschetta Recipe
5 from 227 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Authentic Italian Bruschetta! Learn how to make a crowd-pleasing tomato bruschetta. The crisp parmesan toasts take these over the top and you will love the drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Prep Time: 15minutes mins
Cook Time: 7minutes mins
Marinating Time: 15minutes mins
Total Time: 37minutes mins
Ingredients US CustomaryMetric
Servings: 24 bruschetta toasts
INGREDIENTS FOR TOMATO BRUSCHETTA:
- 6 Roma tomatoes, 1 1/2 lbs, diced
- 1/3 cup basil leaves, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, divided
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- balsamic glaze, (optional)
INGREDIENTS FOR TOASTS:
- 1 baguette
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
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Instructions
Make the Tomato Topping:
- Core and dice tomatoes (or use a food chopper). Drain any excess juice and transfer tomatoes to a medium bowl.
- Stack basil leaves and roll them into a tube. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the basil into ribbons and transfer to the bowl with tomatoes.
- Finely mince 5 garlic cloves. Mix 1 tsp of minced garlic into 3 Tbsp olive oil and set aside. Add remaining minced garlic to the mixing bowl with tomatoes.
- Season tomatoes with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp balsamic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir gently to combine and set aside to marinate for 15-30 minutes. Serve with bruschetta toasts and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or balsamic glaze.
Make the Bruschetta Toasts:0
Saved to Favorites! Sign in to ensure your favorites are not lost.Sign inRemove from FavoritesMy Favorite PagesSign in to ensure your favorites are not lostThis is the ultimate summer party appetizer and a great way to use up those sweet and juicy summer tomatoes. We grow tomatoes and basil in our garden and homegrown ingredients will make the best bruschetta you will try!
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Watch the Italian Bruschetta Video:
We recreated this bruschetta recipe after trying it on a date night at Bardonay – a fancy restaurant in Eagle, Idaho. We ordered their bruschetta as an appetizer and my husband and I were smitten.
The way they toasted their bread with cheese and drizzled all over with balsamic glaze was a winning combination and we couldn’t stop eating it. You’ll love how easy it is to re-create this restaurant-quality appetizer at home. The flavor profile makes me think of the classic Caprese Salad.
What is Bruschetta?
Bruschetta is pronounced ‘brusketa’ in Italian. Most people think bruschetta is referring to the tomato topping but it’s actually referring to the toasted bread which is typically served with tomatoes or a variety of toppings like our Roasted Pepper Bruschetta.
Adding cheese to the toasts adds a little salty bite and makes them irresistible. You’ll want to munch on them before you even add the toppings.
Ingredients for Tomato Bruschetta:
Salt and Pepper – this simple seasoning is all you need.This is the ultimate summer party appetizer and a great way to use up those sweet and juicy summer tomatoes. We grow tomatoes and basil in our garden and homegrown ingredients will make the best bruschetta you will try!
What is Bruschetta?
Bruschetta is pronounced ‘brusketa’ in Italian. Most people think bruschetta is referring to the tomato topping but it’s actually referring to the toasted bread which is typically served with tomatoes or a variety of toppings.
Adding cheese to the toasts adds a little salty bite and makes them irresistible. You’ll want to munch on them before you even add the toppings.
Ingredients for Tomato Bruschetta:
Salt and Pepper – this simple seasoning is all you need.This is the ultimate summer party appetizer and a great way to use up those sweet and juicy summer tomatoes. We grow tomatoes and basil in our garden and homegrown ingredients will make the best bruschetta you will try!
Ingredients for Tomato Bruschetta:
Salt and Pepper – this simple seasoning is all you need.This is the ultimate summer party appetizer and a great way to use up those sweet and juicy summer tomatoes. We grow tomatoes and basil in our garden and homegrown ingredients will make the best bruschetta you will try!
Ingredients for Tomato Bruschetta:
Salt and Pepper – this simple seasoning is all you need.
Roma Tomatoes – firmer and less juicy than other varieties, these are ideal for bruschetta. Dicing with a food chopper makes the process quick and easy.
Basil – for best results use fresh basil (not dried)
Garlic – add this to taste. We love plenty of garlic and use 4 cloves for the tomatoes and 1 clove for the toasts.
Balsamic vinegar – adds a rich layer of flavor
Extra virgin olive oil – using the best quality extra virgin will give you the best flavour.
