Sourdough toasts are awesome. Especially if you first fry a piece of fresh sourdough bread in aromatic olive oil. And then top it up with all things sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy, tangy and salty! It makes a stellar snack, appetizer or even a light meal.
Why Sourdough Toasts?
People often ask me – what’s so special about sourdough? Two things:
First, it has a lot more of its own taste compared to other types of bread. There is a distinctive tangy aspect that comes from the natural fermentation process of the dough. The flavour is often described as slightly sour and mildly acidic, balanced by rich, deep, wheaty notes.
Second, sourdough bread has a more chewy texture with an elastic, airy crumb. When toasted, it develops a delicate crust while remaining soft and slightly moist on the inside.
This combination of crispy, chewy and flavourful is very satisfying and brings in a bit of sophistication. A win-win!
But that’s just the first one of the building blocks. The real fun comes with the curation of toppings. Seasonal fruit and vegetables paired with soft cheeses, nuts or seeds and an array of flavourings can produce incredibly delicious combos. Below are our favourite picks for every season, for you to enjoy!
- Autumn: Caramelized Pears, Brie and Rosemary
- Winter: Grilled Persimmons and Whipped Ricotta
- Spring: Eggplant, Burrata and Tkemali
- Summer: Strawberries, Ricotta and Makrut Lime
- Year-Round: Fig Chutney, Prosciutto and Mascarpone
Autumn: Sourdough Toasts with Caramelized Pears, Brie and Rosemary
Mellow, warm, sweet and savory toast with autumnal hues and vibes.
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces of sourdough bread
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
- 1/2 tsp rock salt
- 2 conference pears, sliced across into 0.5cm circles
- 50g butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/3 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp each ground nutmeg and dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon
- 80g Brie cheese
- 1 tbsp micro greens or watercress
- 1 tbsp roasted almonds
Method:
Heat 3-4 tbsp of evoo in a grill pan to medium-high. Fry the sourdough on both sides until it turns golden and crispy. Season with a pinch of rock salt and set aside.
Melt butter in a pan, add sugar and stir to dissolve. Hit the pan with the vinegar, add spices and rosemary and simmer, stirring, until reduced and thickened. Pop in slices of pears and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Assemble the toast: lay a few slices of brie (you can also just smear the cheese over). Top with the pears and tuck in the micro greens. Scatter over roasted almonds and serve.
Winter: Sourdough with Grilled Persimmons and Whipped Ricotta
This toast is making the most out of persimmon season. Enhanced with warm spices and lightly grilled, they “smell like Christmas”, according to my children.
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces of sourdough bread
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
- 1/2 tsp rock salt
- 2 sweet non-astringent persimmons, such as Fuyu or Spanish
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp each grounded cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg
- 100g ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp pomegranate jewels
- 1 tbsp roasted pine nuts
- 2 tbsp Micro greens
- Raw honey
- 1/2 lemon
Method:
Heat 3-4 tbsp of evoo in a grill pan to medium-high. Fry the sourdough on both sides until it turns golden and crispy. Season with a pinch of rock salt and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp evoo with 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Slice the persimmons across into thin circles, about 3mm each, and brush them with the oil.
Fry on both sides over medium-high heat until they’ve softened and caramelized slightly. Set aside.
In a medium plastic bowl, whip ricotta with a hand mixer until smooth.
Assemble the toast: smear it with whipped ricotta and add 2-3 slices of persimmons. Scatter over pomegranate jewels and pine nuts and top with a generous scoop of micro greens. Squeeze over some lemon juice and drizzle with raw honey.
Spring: Sourdough with Burrata, Eggplant and Tkemali
A sweet and savory toast with a hint of smokiness, an enlivening tartness and minty freshness. Perfect for spring awakenings!
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces of sourdough bread
- 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
- 1 tsp rock salt, divided
- 200g burrata
- 1 small eggplant
- 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 tsp (or more!) Tkemali sauce
- 1 tbsp each pomegranate seeds and roasted pistachios
- 1/2 tbsp mint leaves
- Fresh plum for garnish (optional)
Method:
Sprinkle the slices of eggplant with 1/2 tsp rock salt and allow to sweat. Rinse and pat dry.
Heat 3-4 tbsp of evoo in a grill pan to medium-high. Fry the sourdough on both sides until it turns golden and crispy. Season with the remaining 1/2 tsp of rock salt and set aside.
Add more oil to the same pan and fry the eggplant for about 5 minutes on each side until softened. Let cool.
Mix together chopped tomatoes, tkemali sauce and pomegranate seeds.
Assemble the toast: divide burrata into four parts and smear onto the toasts. Arrange slices of eggplant on top and scoop over the tomatoes. Scatter over roasted pistachios and garnish with mint leaves
Summer: Sourdough Toasts with Strawberries, Ricotta and Makrut Lime
A glorious and uplifting combination of fresh and cooked strawberries over whipped ricotta infused with sweet and tangy makrut lime sugar.
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces of sourdough bread
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
- A pinch of salt
- 150g ricotta
- 4-5 fresh makrut lime leaves, stems removed
- 1 tsp extra fine white sugar
- 1 tbsp evoo
- 4 large strawberries, thinly sliced across
- 4 extra strawberries, chopped or sliced
- 1/3 cups fresh orange juice
- 10g brown sugar
- 1/4 cups balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp roasted pine nuts or almonds
Method:
Heat 3-4 tbsp of evoo in a grill pan to medium-high. Fry the sourdough on both sides until it turns golden and crispy. Season with a pinch of rock salt and set aside.
Heat a small pan to medium-high. Pour in 1/3 cups of orange juice and stir in 10g of brown sugar until dissolved. Hit the pan with balsamic vinegar and bring to simmer. Add 4 chopped strawberries and cook until the liquid has reduced to a glaze.
Blitz makrut lime leaves with 1 tsp of fine white sugar in a spice blender. If you don’t own one, chop the leaves as fine as you can, then mix with the sugar.
Combine 150g ricotta cheese, 1 tbsp of evoo and 1 tbsp of makrut lime sugar in a large bowl. Whip with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy.
Assemble the toast: spread over the whipped ricotta and top with a mix of fresh and cooked strawberries. Sprinkle over a bit more of makrut lime sugar and garnish with pine nuts.
Year-Round: Sourdough with Fig Chutney, Prosciutto and Mascarpone
A twist on one of the classic combos, this toast marries sweet and tangy Fig Chutney with mellow mascarpone, salty prosciutto and delicate fresh figs.
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces of sourdough bread
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
- A pinch of salt
- 100g mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp Fig Chutney
- 6-8 very thin slices of prosciutto
- 1 tbsp micro greens
- 1 tbsp roasted almonds
- 1-2 fresh figs, thinly sliced
Method:
Heat 3-4 tbsp of evoo in a grill pan to medium-high. Fry the sourdough on both sides until it turns golden and crispy. Season with a pinch of rock salt and set aside.
Whip 100g mascarpone cheese with a hand mixer.
Assemble the toast: spread over whipped mascarpone and add a few dollops of fig chutney here and there. Top with prosciutto, a few micro greens and almonds. Finish off with a couple of thin fig slices.
For even more options, check out my Nectarines, Plums and Burrata and Figs, Squash and Feta sourdough toasts recipes!
