Pantry Basics: Homemade Melba Toast is an easy method for making melba toast at home, seasoned however you like.
Homemade Melba Toast
by Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
8.1.14
Melba toasts are small thin, dried toasts. You can buy them in boxes at the supermarket, but I bet half of them will be broken. And there really isn’t any need to buy those that way. You can easily make your own melba toasts in the oven in about an hour. You know they will be fresh, you can season them any way you like, and if they are broken, you can only blame… (Blame the dog! Ha!)
Melba toasts were originally created around 1900 by August Escoffier, the famous French chef of the time and whose name is still famous today. He made it as something for an Australian opera singer to have to eat while she was ill. Ever feel like your tummy could only hold down crackers?
Of course, they are superb eaten with soups and salads, and make an excellent vehicle for noshing on spreads and pates. The latter is what I made this particular batch for. I was planning on making a Russian style aubergine (eggplant) caviar, which is a lot like baba ghannoush, with different spicing. Usually with baba ghannoush I would make toasted pita wedges, but this time I wanted something a little less Middle Eastern (since the caviar is Russian style) so I grabbed some cocktail rye bread at the market. Those long loaves of cocktail bread are huge anyway, especially for a small family. I could only hope to use all of that bread before it went stale if I was entertaining, and making a boatload of finger sandwiches for parties or high tea. So with the leftovers, if you do make finger sandwiches, this is a perfect way to be frugal and not have to throw the bread out.
And it stores easily in your palatable pantry, packed in an airtight container.
~Sue
Melba Toast
Ingredients:
- cocktail rye bread (other cocktail bread is fine as well)
- olive oil as needed
- garlic powder or other seasonings (optional)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 250F.
- Place bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
- Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings (if desired.)
- Bake 30 minutes in a low oven; then turn toasts over and bake about 30 minutes more, or until dry and crisp.
- Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container until needed.
From: palatablepastime.com
Join my recipe group on Facebook for more recipes from blogger friends around the world!
Palatable Recipes
You might also like:
Refrigerator Pickles: Dills, Sweets, Jalapenos
Can’t Find a Recipe? | Help
Recipe Index A-M | Recipe Index N-Z | Home
Sounds easy! What if the bread is not too fresh? Like almost stale bread?
It’s fine if it’s stale bread. It may shorten the bake time a bit but you will be able to tell. ~s
Melba toast is a MUST have staple ingredient to have tucked away in a tin! THANKS for adding this to Tea Time Treats! Karen xxx
I make melba toast all the time. Its very easy if you have a slice-a-slice or a nicer slicer. Sandy
I don’t have one of those. Just old school with a serrated knife. I do love a good gadget though! Thanks for stopping by.
I tried this and recommend it highly for Melba toast lovers and even likers. Even with inexpensive grocery store bread, you get a tastier result. They are crunchy but do not break apart like manufactured Melba toasts. They store well in an air tight container for quite a while (mine are eaten within a week, but other sources say the toasts hold for several weeks). Thank you for a quick, easy “recipe” for Melba toasts, Palatable!
Oops. I forgot to add an extra way to get thin, crunchy Melba toast – before baking, roll out the bread slice with a rolling pin to make it very thin. I cut my rolled-out, grocery bread into fourths and leave the crusts on. Toast on, y’all.
My husband & I are both melba toast lovers. Great with a small salad or cottage cheese for lunchtime.
Yes I like it! I am looking forward to trying this and other recipes from you. Glad I stumbled upon you.
My dad would have mom put a few pieces of buttered toast or bread in the oven at a low temperature for a long time. It smelled so delicious! Now if we have leftover toast I sprinkle with garlic or onion powder too and bake until crisp!. It makes good croutons, good breadcrumbs, and a sugarless snack! Oh, and turkey dressing too!
Waste not want not.