Why Pugliese Bread Is The Best Choice For Bruschetta

When it comes to appetizers, bruschetta is a flavorful preparation featuring fresh ingredients like tomatoes, herbs, and crusty bread. Ciabatta bread is a common choice when making bruschetta, but there may be an even better option, one that can elevate the recipe by creating the perfect contrast to other ingredients.

For more insight, Daily Meal reached out to Joe Isidori, chef and owner of Arthur & Sons, an NYC-based eatery that specializes in Italian American cuisine. According to Isidori, there's a less common bread with a to-die-for texture to make bruschetta. The chef stated, "I prefer a Pugliese loaf for its chewy crust and great crumb," referring to a rustic Italian bread that's crispy on the outside and unbelievably moist on the inside. Isidori goes on to say that Pugliese bread, "offers the perfect crunch to complement the ripe tomatoes." To ensure that the tomato topping remains well supported, chef Isidori recommends Pugliese slices that range from 1 to 1 ½ inches thick, which helps "hold everything together in one satisfying bite."

Chef Joe Isidori has some recommendations on how to maximize the flavor of your Pugliese bread when making bruschetta. A simple combination of sea salt and olive oil makes for the "perfect base" prior to toasting the bread. Additionally, Isidori suggests toasting the bread on an outdoor grill to incorporate "a smoky flavor that pairs beautifully with the summer freshness of tomatoes." Much like how grilling is the secret to unbeatable garlic bread, using the outdoor appliance to toast Pugliese slices results in an explosion of smokiness.

Toasting the bread also offers another benefit where structural stability is concerned. Tomatoes can be composed of up to 95% water, and this high water content can cause even the most robust bread to become soggy. Along with toasting, you can prevent soggy bruschetta with a simple prep tip that involves removing the skins and seeds of the tomato. Also, don't add the tomato mixture to the toasted bread until just before you're ready to serve the appetizer.

When it comes to personal preferences, Joe Isidori recommends a fresh slice of Pugliese bread for making bruschetta. According to the chef, fresh bread features "superior flavor and texture" that will be missing with stale bread (keep in mind that staleness results from moisture loss, which causes starch molecules to harden). However, Isidori admits that stale bread "is a good way to use leftovers," much like these other unique ways to use day-old bread.

In the event you only have stale bread at home, or you're looking to reduce food waste in your household, an easy oven hack can help revive stale bread. The trick is to moisten the bread with water and secure it in foil before placing it into the oven, which will create the perfect steamy environment. Remember that steam adds moisture to food for a softer, more pliable texture. However, if you want your bruschetta to be a real standout, it's probably best to heed chef Isidori's sage advice.