Grilled Red Peppers & Garlic Toast

This Italian-style garlic toast is basic in the best sense. Three ingredients, ten minutes of bake time, and you have the perfect golden platform for grilled red peppers, a spread of tapenade, or really anything you want to pile on top. The critical move is simmering the olive oil with sliced garlic for a full 5 minutes before brushing. That gentle heat infuses the oil with mellow, sweet garlic flavor without burning the slices into bitter crisps.

Baking to pale gold (not brown) is deliberate. A lightly toasted bread holds its shape under toppings without shattering, and retains enough chew to be satisfying. The garlic-infused oil seeps into the crumb while baking, so each bite delivers flavor clear through, not just on the surface. Serve these with grilled red peppers drizzled in balsamic for the full antipasto moment.

Chef Tips

• Use a rustic loaf like ciabatta or a country sourdough. White sandwich bread collapses under toppings and lacks the structure to hold up.
• Slice bread thicker than you think. Half an inch minimum. Thin slices shatter under anything wetter than butter.
• Strain the oil through a fine sieve before brushing if you want cleaner toast. Garlic pieces on top burn before the bread is golden.
• Brush both sides of the bread with oil for maximum flavor penetration.

Variations

• Rub the warm toast with a cut clove of raw garlic for an extra raw garlic punch.
• Sprinkle with grated parmesan in the last 2 minutes of baking for a cheesy crust.
• Scatter chopped fresh rosemary or thyme into the oil as it infuses for an herbaceous twist.