The Only Way You Should Slice Your Bruschetta Bread
Bruschetta bread is a popular appetizer served at Italian restaurants throughout the world. It's a delicious, well-balanced food, consisting of toasted bread coated in garlic and olive oil and commonly topped with tomato and basil, per MasterClass. When snacking on bruschetta at a restaurant or at home, you might not be thinking (or might not even care) about the food's history, but it's actually quite interesting and involved. This bread originated hundreds of years ago in Central Italy (via Boretti), and it was originally served as a snack for manual laborers and used a way to save stale bread (per The International Kitchen).
Though bruschetta bread works well as an appetizer or snack, it can also be treated as a meal. According to the Chicago Tribune, serving it with salad and a glass of wine makes for a truly filling bite. You can also top it with a cured meat of your choice, such as salami or sausage, to add some extra protein. While selecting sides and toppings for bruschetta is important, there's another simple thing that can greatly impact how much you enjoy this food — the way you slice your bread.
Slice bruschetta bread on a bias
The best way to slice bruschetta bread is on a bias or, in other words, at an angle. This is due to the type of bread that's used to make bruschetta. You can really use any type of bread for bruschetta, but ideally, you should use sturdy bread, such as a French baguette, so that all of the snack's toppings can be properly supported. According to HuffPost, the bias cut is great for longer foods like French baguettes because it gives them an elegant appearance. So, because sturdier, longer breads are generally used for bruschetta, and it's best to slice them on a bias to make them more aesthetically pleasing.
Additionally, HDMD Blog reports that cutting on a bias increases the surface area of bread and other foods, making it easier to eat and cook them. To perform a bias cut, begin by turning your knife at a 45-degree angle. After you've angled your knife, simply slice through the bread; the result will be an angled piece of bread. Keeping the knife at the same angle, continue to slice the loaf until you've got the number of pieces you need.
Tips for elevating bruschetta bread
Correctly sliced bread is crucial for a good bruschetta, but there are several other things you should note when making this tasty snack. For one, it's essential to ensure that your bread isn't too thick or thin, per Williams Sonoma. If your bread is too thin, it might be excessively crispy when you toast it. On the other hand, if your bread is too thick, it might outshine the tomatoes and basil. So, try to slice your bread about a half-inch thick to achieve a nice toasty crust and balanced flavors. Another easy thing you can do to elevate your bruschetta bread is to let your tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and other seasonings marinate for about 10 minutes. Doing this will allow the seasonings to seep into the tomatoes, enhancing the flavor of your topping.
According to King Arthur Baking Company, it's a great idea to remove the skin and seeds from your tomatoes. The skin and seeds can infuse your bruschetta with an unpleasant bitterness, and they also have extra moisture, meaning that they can make your bread soggy. So, to avoid a bitter flavor and soggy bread, peel and gut those tomatoes. If you want to save some time, you could use cherry tomatoes, as they are mostly seedless. However, it really doesn't matter how good your tomato topping is if you don't begin with a solid base, so be sure to slice your bread on a bias to start off strong!