How To Toast Bread In The Oven In Minutes
We've come a long way since the original electric toaster was invented at the end of the 19th century. But still, it is one of those pieces of kitchen equipment that fulfills only one role, meaning that when it comes to a tight cooking space, it is fairly easy to eliminate. Whether you are living a big city life with limited room on your countertop or you are on vacation in a minimalistic cozy cabin, the absence of a toaster does not necessarily mean that you have to do without toast.
Instead, take the opportunity to discover why an oven can be ideal for turning a slice of bread into a crispy accompaniment to your meal. To make toast in the oven, you can opt for the regular baking function or choose to use the broiler instead. Either way, the key thing is to layer your bread evenly on a baking sheet before popping it in the oven to cook for a few minutes.
Tips and techniques for tasty toast
When toasting bread in the oven, evenness is everything. Before you get to spreading out your bread across the baking sheet, you want to make sure that each slice is cut to the same width. For this reason, store-bought bread is convenient, though some bakeries will use a machine to slice your bread for you if you ask. If you bake your bread at home, do your best to slice it uniformly. This will help you achieve a nice, consistent level of toasting on all pieces of bread.
When using the regular baking function of your oven, preheat it to 350 F, then bake the slices of bread for about 10 minutes, flipping them over halfway through. If using the broiler, you'll want to leave your bread in the oven for just about a minute on each side. The latter is definitely the quicker option but requires more attention to make sure the bread does not burn.
Making the most of oven-toasted bread
When it comes to toasting bread, there are plenty of points in favor of using the oven instead of a toaster. One of the main advantages of the oven is that it allows you to prepare many slices of toast at once. If you are hosting brunch at your house, this is a quick and easy way to prepare enough toast to feed a group. For an extra impressive breakfast, try making French toast with oven-roasted bread.
Toasting bread in the oven isn't just useful for preparing your first meal of the day. You can use this method to make a substantial, savory toast to serve with avocado or hummus and roasted vegetables for lunch or dinner, or cube your bread and toast it into croutons for a salad. By doing this, you can repurpose bread that is starting to go stale, thereby saving money and avoiding food waste. You can even use toasted bread as a secret weapon for rich brownies.