Bread With Tomato Recipe

Preheat and prepare bread

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Arrange 8 bread slices on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Brush the top of each slice lightly with the 3 tbs olive oil and sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp salt.

Toast in the preheated oven for 6–8 minutes, or until edges are golden and crisp. Remove and let cool slightly.

Prepare tomatoes

While bread toasts, core and chop the ripe tomatoes into small dice (you should have about 3 cups). If tomatoes are very watery, scoop out and discard most seeds and excess juice so topping won't sog the bread.

Mince 2 garlic cloves. Place minced garlic in a medium bowl and add the chopped tomatoes, 2 tbs finely diced red onion, chopped basil leaves, 1 tsp red wine or sherry vinegar, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt.

Mix gently to combine and taste; adjust salt, pepper or vinegar if needed. Let mixture sit for 5–10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Spoon an even portion of the tomato mixture onto each toasted bread slice, dividing so each of the 8 pieces gets a generous topping.

If using cheese, sprinkle about 1 tbsp (total ~1/4 cup spread across slices) grated Parmesan or shredded mozzarella over the tomato-topped bread. For a warm, meltier finish, place the topped slices under the oven broiler for 1–2 minutes until cheese softens — watch closely to avoid burning.

Drizzle the assembled pieces with the remaining 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil, garnish with a small basil leaf if desired, and serve immediately.