Caprese Bruschetta

Whip up this easy, cheesy bruschetta as a side dish or appetizer to complement any Italian dish.

Servings

12 Servings

PREP TIME

5 mins

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME

20 mins

Difficulty

Easy

Wine pairing

Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio

Ingredients
 1 loaf of ciabatta bread, sliced 1.5cm thick
 400 g cherry tomatoes, halved
 300 g buffalo mozzarella
 ½ bunch of basil
 ¼ cup garlic olive oil
 sea salt flakes
 balsamic glaze
Ingredients
 1 loaf of ciabatta bread, sliced 0.5 inch thick
 14 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
 10 oz buffalo mozzarella
 ½ bunch of basil
 ¼ cup garlic olive oil
 sea salt flakes
 balsamic glaze
  • If you can’t get buffalo mozzarella, use a traditional soft Italian mozzarella ball. You want the ones that come in a tub submerged in liquid, not the firm balls of cheese in vaccum-sealed plastic.
  • If you don’t have garlic olive oil, you can use plain olive oil. If you want to add the garlic flavour, peel a large clove of garlic, cut it in half, and rub the cut side on the bread after grilling.
  • Balsamic glaze is definitely the best option for this recipe, but if you don’t have it, you can use regular balsamic vinegar – just use very sparingly since it’s a much thinner liquid than the glaze. 

Directions

1

Grill the bread

1. Lightly grill the bread on both sides.

Tip: You have several options here; you can toast the slices, put them under a grill, or – if you want to achieve grill marks on your bread for maximum visual aesthetic – use a grill plate on the stove.

2. Once the bread is grilled, lightly brush the top with garlic olive oil.

2

Add the toppings

1. Place the bread on a baking tray lined with baking paper (you may need two baking trays depending on how many slices you have).

2. Cut the mozzarella into roughly 0.5cm / 0.25 inch slices and evenly spread it on top of the bread slices. 

Tip: You can also tear the mozzarella if you find this easier.

3. Place the trays under the grill just until the mozzarella starts to melt.

4. Add a small amount of olive oil to a frypan, and saute the cherry tomatoes over medium heat until they just start to blister.

5. Place the bread slices on a serving platter, and top with cherry tomatoes, sea salt flakes and basil leaves. Just before serving, drizzle over balsamic glaze.

 

Wine pairing

You’ll probably choose a wine that pairs with whatever main dish you’re serving. But, if you happen to be having a light meal (antipasto style), then a Pinot Gris would be your best bet with this bruschetta.