Ode to Grilled Bread
(violins & cellos in the air… Masterpiece theatre sets the stage…)
Crusty, charred Lines of Black
Gentle crumb singed Golden. Soft.
Day old. Resuscitated.
Screetch!!!Stop! We’re not really going to torture you with our bad food poetry. We’ll let our poetic verse lay in what you see before you, and leave the real deal to those skilled in pen and word. But we have to admit that it is hard not to be inspired when grilled bread is your muse.
It is such heavenly, yet simple and rustic fare. Taking a beautiful crusty loaf of bread, say a ciabatta or any other spongy-crusty loaf, slicing it thick, then brushed and grilled to consummate perfection.
There is the alluring play in textures between the charred, crunchy crust, the slightly crisped, golden crumb surface, and the soft, chewing interior crumb. And that is just the bread.
Don’t forget about the infinite topping possibilities… Herbed butters, simple sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, grated parmesan, roasted peppers, halved sun gold tomatoes with balsamic, tuna and capers… what ever your appetite desires.
One can even dessert-ify the grilled bread by spreading chocolate, or bananas and caramel or any other creative personal pleasure. Simply put, we love grilled bread. The glory of grilled bread is that versatile.
Or, you can eat it alone, warm off the grill, and dirty yourself with fragrant charred crumbs. Now that alone is an ode to good eating.
What’s your favorite way to have grilled bread?
Enjoy.
-Todd and Diane
Grilled Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Loaf Crusty Bread
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves , gently smashed - optional
- Olive Oil or Butter
- Sea Salt
- fresh cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
- Slice the bread into 3/4" slices. Rub slices of bread with garlic cloves. Gently oil or butter each side of the slices.
- Heat grill or pan over med-high heat. When hot, oil grates with a paper towel dipped in a bit of cooking oil, then grill each side until gently golden (@2-3 min on each side depending on heat level.)
- Season with sea salt and black pepper. Serve immediately or top with preferred topping and serve.
i love how so many of the greatest things in life are so simple
I love naan hot off the grill. Great with grilled sausages and onions as a sammy or of course with Indian food or, as we did here, with pork tenderloin:
http://eatlittleeatbig.blogspot.com/2010/10/tasty-tenderloin-of-pork-with-naan-and.html
We always rubbed the garlic then tomato and drizzled the olive oil….delicoso
So simple and, yet, such a treat! The smell of grilled or toasted bread with some fresh rosemary and a pat of butter is pure heaven.
I am a bit confused……where do the garlic cloves come in?
Thanks!
Sorry about that, we missed writing that step in the recipe. You rub the bread slices with the garlic before oiling or buttering.
Fixed now. 😉
Funny you should post this now. The last month or so we’ve been making A LOT of grilled bread in our iron skillet to go in or with dishes and salads. Maybe it’s a fall thing? In fact, tonight I’m making open-faced (leftover) roast chicken & gravy sandwiches and decided to build them on very garlicky grilled bread.
Mine won’t be as pretty as YOURS though. That’s for sure.
Rustic and moorish…beautiful post. Love that knife, and love a garlic overload on my bread. Grilled so beautifully = YUM! I love grilled bread with a slathering of garlic butter & roasted bell peppers!
Pure heaven. I like mine just the way you’ve mentioned here. By far the most simple and unadulterated way to eat good bread. The pictures are amazing and now I must go off and attempt baking of a really good crusty loaf. Thanks!
It is pure poetry in words, photos (yours) and even in concept only. My grandmother used to fry sheepherder’s bread for us–no grill marks because she used a flat bottomed skillet, but oh the flavor.
A bit of herb butter makes me happy but I could be tempted to smear some goat cheese on there too!
The Salt Whore will be having some of that bread with Proscuitto and Parmesan, please.
This post has me drooling at 6:15 in the morning! I’m crazy for grilled bread. Our favorite way to eat it is smeared with soft burrata cheese and a touch of cracked pepper and sea salt. I think I need to wake up my sourdough starter this week!
Ours is now a dusty toaster, thanks to what we call “fried bread” which is a simpler version of yours, just small slices of good bread (the Whole Foods rolls make four or five slices) fried in a cast iron skillet in a little olive oil, butter or (revive me now) a little bacon grease. What a revelation!
We’ll often do “fried bread” too just on the cast iron skillet. Quick and delicious. Using the bacon grease is being economical, right?! 😉
I love mine with butter! Warm, toasty, and butter… mmmm.
Yummm. I love mine with Nutella. Are you surprised??? lol
D & T – your pictures are making my stomach growl. Why are you doing this to me at this hour? Now I have to march into the kitchen and eat some carbs to satiate my hunger. Anyhow – thank you for sharing your beautiful post!!