An Italian Inspired Evening: Focaccia and Bruschetta ...

I’ve been on the road for a while, but the opportunity for wine and a light appetizer presented itself with some good friends (although at this point cooking with strangers would have been fine too – the traveling is getting to me).  For my contribution I was asked to do my bruschetta, which means I have to make bread.

The meaning of bruschetta for me is any tomato based or inspired topping on toasted bread.  Some will argue it is the bread itself and others that it is the traditional topping.  Whatever makes you happy, just pronounce it correctly: brü-ˈske-tə

So let’s get started on the bread.  If you aren't up to making your own bread, just close out the page and forget about moving forward.  I’m just kidding.  You can use any artisan style bread, even a French style baguette – as Italians around the world cringe!  For me I have a great focaccia recipe that I use for a variety of shapes.  For our purposes, we will need more of a small rounded loaf/baguette.  You can shape the dough after the first rise. ( For my focaccia recipe see   )

Once I have the bread out of the oven cooling, I prepare the topping ingredients.  It just works for me and keeps all of the ingredients fresh.  For the tomatoes, I use Roma. Figure one Roma tomato will make 2-3 finished portions.  For a more refined topping you can peel the tomatoes first and then cut and de-seed them.  Ultimately you want the tomato cut into pieces equal to a small dice (that is a culinary measurement, not gaming dice). Mince some garlic; figure one clove will yield 4-6 finished portions depending on your garlic liking.

About this time the bread should have cooled enough to be prepared.  Portion the bread into slices that are a little more than ¼ inch.  You need the bread slices thick enough to hold the topping, but you don’t want a big thick piece of bread so that is all you taste.  The bread is merely the conduit by which to carry the topping to your mouth.

Next, put a little olive oil and butter in a pan and bring it up to about medium high.  If it starts smoking it’s way too hot.  The idea is to just coat the bread and crisp it, not to fry it.  Cook both sides and then place the pieces on a wire rack over a sheet pan that is oven safe.  Place into a pre-heated 250 degree oven while you bring the topping together, don’t forget about it!

If the pan you used to prepare the bread is clean, meaning not burnt, brush out any leftover pieces of bread and add a little olive oil (about a 1/2 tsp per tomato used) over medium low heat.  Add the minced garlic and let it commingle for about 10 minutes, if the garlic starts turning colors, pull it off the heat and reduce your burner setting.  We want to soften the garlic and infuse the oil; burnt garlic is not good eats.  Add the diced tomatoes and toss to coat.  Cook for about 5-8 minutes, less if you like your tomatoes more firm and longer is you like them mushy.  While that is cooking, chiffinod (role up the leaves and cut into thin bands) half a large leaf of basil per finished portion.  Remove the bread from the oven.  Add the basil to the tomato garlic mixture and toss off the heat. Add salt as needed, I generally use a pinch for a mixture that serves 8 portions.

You have a couple of options for plating.  For a large group you can place the topping in a suitable and decorative bowl with the bread on a plate next to it.  Your guest can make their own bruschetta fresh and you don’t have to worry about the bread getting soggy.  If you are serving the appetizer or it is a plated appetizer, place a generous amount of topping on each piece of bread and plate 2-3 slices per guest. Finish the bruschetta portions with a garnish of finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.