Bruschetta is grilled bread with garlic, olive oil and salt. Everything else is an addition. It is worth saying plainly, because in Norway the word has slid over to mean the tomato mixture you put on top, and with that the thing that actually makes the dish good disappears.
The name is about the bread, not the topping
Bruschetta comes from the Roman verb bruscare, meaning to toast or to char over embers. The word describes the treatment of the slice of bread. The defining act is that the bread takes on colour and slightly charred edges over strong heat, and that a raw clove of garlic is rubbed against the hot, rough crust immediately afterwards. The heat draws the garlic aroma into the bread without the garlic turning sharp.
In Italian there is no use of the word for a ready-mixed topping in a jar. In Tuscany the simplest version, fettunta, is served with no topping at all, often in November to taste the first olive oil of the year. Tomato is one variant among many, and it is not even the oldest.
The pronunciation is brusketta. Sch in Italian gives a k sound.
The basic recipe
- 4 thick slices of sourdough bread or ciabatta, about one and a half centimetres
- 1 to 2 cloves of garlic
- Good extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky salt
- Grill or toast the slices of bread dry, without oil, until they have dark stripes. A griddle pan, a charcoal grill or a dry frying pan over high heat all work.
- Rub the clove of garlic over the hot crust while the bread is still piping hot. One or two strokes is enough.
- Pour over olive oil, generously, and scatter on salt.
You can stop here. If you want to go further, the topping comes now.
The tomato version without water in the bread
The most common mistake with tomato bruschetta is that the bread goes soggy within two minutes. The solution is salt and time.
- Quarter 400 g cherry tomatoes, salt them, and let them drain in a sieve for 15 minutes.
- Throw away the liquid that drains off. That is what makes the bread soggy.
- Mix the tomatoes with finely grated garlic, olive oil and basil.
- Put the topping on just before serving, not before.
A few drops of balsamic glaze belong here if you like, but no vinegar in the tomato mixture. It draws out more liquid.
Other variants
White bean purée with rosemary. Grilled bell pepper with anchovies. Mushrooms fried in garlic. Pesto genovese crushed in a mortar. They all follow the same rule: bread first, then garlic, then oil, then topping.
We carry olive oil from Monini and other Italian producers. If you want to bake the bread yourself, we have a recipe for focaccia, and otherwise you will find bread in the shop. For a larger Italian dinner, see pasta carbonara.
Frequently asked questions
How is bruschetta pronounced?
Brusketta. Sch is pronounced as k in Italian, never as sh.
Does the bread have to be grilled, or is toasting enough?
Both work. The point is dry, strong heat and a little colour. Bread fried in oil turns greasy and soft instead of crisp.
Which bread works best?
A coarse bread with a firm crumb and a distinct crust. Sourdough or ciabatta. A sandwich loaf collapses under the topping.
Can I make bruschetta in advance?
The bread can be toasted an hour ahead and the topping made early in the day, but they should meet at the last moment.
What is the difference between bruschetta and crostini?
Crostini are smaller slices of finer bread, often dried in the oven and with more composed toppings. Bruschetta is coarser, larger and grilled.
