Name: Sourdough Bruschetta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 Slices of Sourdough Bread ((sliced around 1-2 cm thick)); 20 g Olive Oil ((for drizzling over the top of the bread)); 1 Clove Garlic ((for rubbing on sourdough)); 650 g Tomatoes ((approx. 8 medium Roma tomatoes)); 2 Shallots ((green spring onions or half a red onion)); 4 Cloves Garlic ((finely diced or minced)); 20 g Olive Oil; 15 g Balsamic Vinegar; Fresh Basil ((a good handful)); 5 g Salt ((1 tsp)); 3 g Pepper ((1 tsp))

This easy sourdough bruschetta recipe is one you need in your repertoire! Crispy, lightly toasted sourdough bread brushed with garlic and topped with a fragrant tomato mixture kissed with fresh basil.

The secret to amazing sourdough bruschetta is to use good quality ingredients! You can't hide from the simplicity of this recipe. The ingredients have to speak for themselves.

4 slices of sourdough bruschetta sitting on a piece of parchment paper. There is a basket of Roma tomatoes sitting to the left of the photo.

Why You'll Love This Recipe!

Use Up Leftover Sourdough Bread - One of the best things about sourdough bruschetta is that you can use stale bread! Bruschetta is a fantastic way to up those last few pieces of sourdough bread without wasting them.

So Versatile - This homemade sourdough bruschetta makes the perfect appetizer or side dish when served on slices of baguette but can also make a light summer or spring supper or main meal. I love serving it with a little burrata cheese and a cold glass of wine for the perfect end to a day in the garden.

Quick & Easy - You can whip this recipe up in a flash! Seriously in just 20 minutes you can have golden toasted sourdough topped with sweet tomatoes and fresh basil.

What is the Best Bread for Bruschetta?

The bread you use to make tomato bruschetta is so important! That's why I recommend using the most delicious sourdough bread! You want it to have an open crumb ... but not too open or all the toppings and olive oil will fall through.

If you want to make the best sourdough bruschetta, then you should choose a bread like:

Simple Sourdough Bread
Sourdough French Bread
Sourdough Baguette
Sourdough Cibatta Bread
Sourdough Crostini (like little toasts - only wayyy better).

Of course, it doesn't matter if the bread is a little stale because baking it in the oven with a little olive and salt will refresh it and make it good again! This is why bruschetta is such a great way to use up leftover sourdough bread.

How To Make Sourdough Bruschetta

Making sourdough bruschetta is so damn simple ... but it's genius lies in it's simplicity! I have chosen to use green shallots instead of red onion - mainly because I have loads of green shallots growing in my garden. When my garden isn't producing, I use red onions from the market. You could also use cherry tomatoes instead of larger tomatoes like Roma or beefsteak tomatoes.

A flat lay of ingredients necessary to make sourdough bruschetta.

Preparing the Bruschetta Topping

Dice the tomatoes and finely chop the shallots. Combine the diced tomatoes, shallots, minced garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil leaves, salt and black pepper into a large bowl and gently mix to combine.

A bowl of ingredients needed to make sourdough bruschetta.

Place mixture into the fridge to chill for around an hour before you prepare the sourdough toast.

Preparing the Sourdough

Take the slices of sourdough bread and place onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle each slice with olive oil and place into a 200C (390F) until just lightly toasted and crispy. Golden brown, crispy sourdough is what makes this Italian dish extra special.

Once you've removed the sourdough from the oven, gently rub each slice of bread with the raw cut garlic clove.

Top each slice of sourdough with a generous amount of tomato and basil mixture and enjoy!

For extra flourish, you could also give the bruschetta topping another drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt before serving.

Choosing The Right Tomatoes For The Best Bruschetta

The most important thing when choosing tomatoes for your sourdough bruschetta is that you choose fresh tomatoes. They need to be ripe and deliciously red.

You can really use any type of ripe tomatoes for bruschetta. Cherry tomatoes (especially if they're all different colors), beefsteak tomatoes, roma tomatoes - they're all fantastic choices!

Should You Put Cheese on Bruschetta?

Traditionally, there's no cheese on Italian bruschetta, however, you might have eaten bruschetta served with some type of cheese at an Italian restaurant or cafe. Now, while it's not traditional, cheese can be a nice addition to sourdough bruschetta when you're serving it as a main meal. You could shave some sharp parmesan cheese on top to give it a little more bite.

I love serving this dish alongside some homemade ricotta or burrata. Spreading the crispy sourdough toast with cream cheese before placing the bruschetta mixture on top is also a nice way to change things up.