I’m not much of a standard sandwich eater, but I love toast. Not boring white bread toast spread with a pat of butter, mind you, but hearty whole wheat bread with substantial toppings. So after Melissa picked Mark Bittman’s whole wheat baguettes for this week’s Food Matters Project recipe, I decided to turn it into a toast recipe. You could call it an open-faced sandwich, tartine or crostini if you wish, but we’re really talking about toasted bread with toppings.
I thumbed through the appetizer section of some cookbooks for inspiration, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to share my favorite kind of toast—avocado toast. Sea salt-flecked, buttery avocado spread onto well-toasted bread is a delicacy, vraiment. I resisted the idea initially because I thought it too easy, too simple to post, but out of fear that perhaps some of you haven’t experienced the joy of avocado toast, I’m dedicating an entire post to it. Yeah, toast!
After furiously catching up on design work yesterday morning, I mixed together Mark Bittman’s baguette dough at a rushed pace in the afternoon. Baking requires a clear head and exact measurements, however, and in my haste I added a tablespoon or two too much water. The dough ended up being very sticky and more like batter than a ball of dough. I also subbed whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose flour, which may explain why it didn’t rise very high. My baked baguettes looked more like Sarah’s crescent-shaped biscotti than Melissa’s pretty, rounded loaves. Regardless, the bread tastes great and has a surprising amount of flavor for dough that rested for only an hour.
Once my loaves were ready to go, I started pulling all of my potential avocado toast toppings out of the fridge. I used my new vegetable peeler
If I had to choose a favorite, I’d pick the radish-topped toast. The super thin slices of radish lent a zesty bite and extra crunch. Joy prefers to keep it simple with lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper. Kasey adds cilantro and a poached egg. Heidi likes hers with arugula, asparagus, pepitas and caraway seeds. New York’s Café Gitane charges $6.25 for their famous avocado toast, which is lemony avocado served with a sprinkling of sea salt, red pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil on seven-grain toast. I found a ton of other ideas in the comments at The Kitchn, but what I really want to know is, how do you prefer your avocado toast? And if you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for?!
- Avocado
- Whole wheat bread, sliced (try this no-work whole wheat baguette recipe)
- Sea salt
- Lemon or lime juice (optional but recommended)
- Additional toppings, all optional: black pepper, red pepper flakes, quality olive oil, hot sauce, greens, shaved radish, asparagus or carrots, toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, thinly sliced shallot or purple onion, sliced cherry tomatoes and so forth. Also, put an egg on it!
- Toast your slices of bread well.
- Slice the avocado in half, lengthwise, and remove the pit. Use a big spoon to scoop out the flesh. Put it in a bowl and mash it up with a fork. Mix in a squeeze of lemon or lime (optional).
- Smash some avocado on top of your toast and top it with a light sprinkle of sea salt (mandatory!). Enjoy as-is or top with any of the listed ingredients above.
P.s. Please vote Cookie and Kate for Saveur’s Best Cooking Blog Award! Note that login is required but it just takes a minute. You can find the links to register and login below the black voting box. Voting ends Thursday!
89 Comments
Ha! And here I thought I was alone in this fast snack/breakfast/lunch/dinner, perfect for when time is tight and the avocados all ripen at once and demand to be eaten. I often top with salsa, cilantro, salt and lime juice–a kind of deconstructed guacamole.
Beautiful! These toasts are so perfect Kate. Who doesn’t like food like this? everyday eats! yum.
I love all these toppings on top of the avocado. You are right, when avocado is involved, you can’t go wrong. I love toasts with homemade guacomole and some sort of melted cheese on top of the toast. Some bell peppers or tomatoes or mushrooms, what have you! I wish I lived right next door to you so I can snack on these toasts.
As my dad would say, that is HECK YEAH Toast! Ditto on the sandwich thing. 2x the veg, 1/2 the bread… I’m all about it. Plus, tartine is just fun to say.
I love the assortment of toppings you added… avocado is always perfect but a touch of another flavor and texture can make something really special!
Such a classic and awesome treat! Love it!
I have never tried avacodo toast but I’ve got some calling my name ! What a great idea. Thanks for enlightening those of us who didn’t know :)
Man, there has been so much avocado toast going around the blogosphere in the past week! I think my favorite combination is with radishes and crunchy sea salt, but the greens version runs a close second. Why not cram in all the fresh veg right? :)
Right! The more fresh veg, the better!
LOVE this post – soooo inspiring.
I have never tried avocado on toast, and I don’t know why! This looks incredibly perfect for breakfast.
Mhmm…! I’d give a lot for a sea salt + sunflower seeds one right now! I have some leftover asparagus sitting around actually, might give that a try, too.
Your photos are stunning as usual, but I really really love the first one. At the first glance it looks like the toast is floating in space… ^^
Thank you, Peanut! I was running out of light when I took those photos so I’m surprised they turned out well. Glad you like that first one, it might be one of my favorites.
that’s exactly what I am making right now for dinner -avocado tartine and some oven fries :) the absolute best dinner I can imagine these days.
I love avocado toast. It’s my go-to lunch at least a couple of times a week when I’m short on time. I’ll have to try adding some thinly sliced radish next time!
My hubby sings that song every time I make toast, which is often. Love this!
Glad you recognized the reference! I get it stuck in my head every time I hear it. It’s terribly obnoxious, isn’t it?!
Terribly obnoxious, yes! I’m afraid I will be stuck with it all day!
Although the yelling before 9:00 am can be rather amusing. :D
That top photo is worthy of a cookbook cover. GORGEOUS. And yay for avocado on toast, especially mashed avocado. Swoon.
YUM! I love the idea of creamy avocado smeared across some delicious toast! I will have to try this one asap! The first photo is just beautiful, wish my computer screen was a scratch and taste :)
Oh please try it soon! You’ve been missing out.
I don’t know what I’m waiting for – but I foresee a grocery store stop for avocados on my way home from work tonight!
Avocado Toast always hits the spot! Perfect food!
I love a wonderful grainy, hearty wheat bread, toasted w/ a little cottage cheese and avocado for breakfast. YUM! Thanks for the additional ideas for toppings!! (and there really is NO better smell in the morning than bread toasting!)
Vegemite + Avocado = Breakfast orgasm
I’ve only tried Vegemite once and I couldn’t stomach it! Maybe I’d like it more if it were topped with avocado.
I love avocado on toast! It’s natural creaminess makes for a wonderful spread. I do love organic butter thickly slathered on toast too heh, but for days when i want to feel a little more virtuous, avocado is brilliant. i use it to make mayonnaise like dips too. brilliant!
I foundet your site and now I love it.
The pictures are amazing and I love the way you write the texts:)
I wanna try some of your recipes very soon!
Greets, zuckerwandlerin
I like mine super-simple. Just avocado and a good, flaky sea salt. I want it. Now.
Yummy it looks like summer
My bread came out with a similar shape! I wonder why that is. They were looking pretty good at first and then started widening instead of rising up…things got worse when I tried to slash them–they deflated! But boy-oh-boy, it still tasted good! I had some with butter but will be having some with avocado later. I have done the avocado on toast thing for quite some time. A little drizzle of apple cider vinagraitte and flaked salt can be very good with the avocado on bread from time to time to change things up. Mashed avocado on thin crisp crackers are also a favorite treat for this gal :)
Oh my how I love Avocados and this is something I already make but reminds me how much I love it and never really thought of adding the goodies. Next time I will :)
I don’t know if there’s something in the water, or if we’re just totally in sync these days. I can’t stop eating avocado on toast, and I can’t get over the gorgeousness that is your lead photo. It’s amazing to me how the simplest things can be the most delicious…Next time, I will definitely be adding lime to mine..x
It is amazing how delicious simple things can be. I want to find more of these simple things!
Those look delicious! What a great way to hook various people (and their cravings) for a great appetizer! Can’t wait to try this out.
that first photo is gorgeous!! this looks so yummy :)
I love avocado toast and that first image is BEAUTIFUL!
I love avocado in everything…hm….would avocado work in a bread dough instead of butter? Guess I have to try that soon haha.
I don’t know about bread, but I’ve seen some interesting cakes with avocado in place of butter. Joy the Baker has one!
My coworker told me I have to dry avocado on sourdough with lime and cilantro. She said it changed her life. I’m apt to believe her. There are few better pairings than avocado, cilantro and lime. Yum.
I’m totally with you on this one. Avocado + toast is *exceptional*! I love mashing avo with miso and tahini, spreading it on toasted sourdough and sprinkling with sea salt flakes.
Mmmmmm ….
This used to be my favorite thing to eat before I went raw! So darn good…
I’m so glad you posted this. Simple is so often best; I think we all need that reminder from time to time.
I couldn’t agree more, Kelsey, and I think I’ll make a point to post more super simple recipes in the future!
I absolutely love avocado toast! Don’t feel bad, I let mine rise for 24 hours (1st rise) and 2 hours (2nd rise) and it was maybe 4″ high. I turned it into croutons! lol
I love avocado toast, too. A few days ago I had one with avocado, a sprinkle of salt and lemon and some of the fennel confit I made last week. Delicious!
I love the Vulcan fire salt from the Spice House on top of my avocado. Adds amazing heat. Oh yeah, a sprinkling of alfalfa sprouts or even some bits of kale…heavenly.
I haven’t tried avocado toast and I have no idea why. I’ve had avocado spread on sandwiches and love that so why not toast? Now I can’t let the week go by without trying it. Funny that you said the radish version is best – that’s the one that particularly caught my eye. It seems a nice riff on the classic radish/butter/salt combo…
Gorgeous tartines!
Lately I’ve been almost addicted to avocado on toast, love that combination. Try it with a poached egg some time: it’s delicious!
I am all over avocado on toast! So all over it that I never think of it as a recipe, but it totally is. MMM.
I love that first shot! Why haven’t I thought to make something this scrumptious and simple before?
Avocado toast is perfect with just a sprinkle of Lawry’s seasoned salt.
My absolute favorite food since I was a child.
Avacado toast with chèvre, radishes, raab and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast..
Yummo I love avocado, what beautiful looking toasts!! I love a smear of miso under my avocado on toast, but they are all winning combinations right?!
You are a girl after my own heart! Avocado on toast is one of my favourite breakfasts, and at least once a week I’ll take an avocado sandwich into work for my lunch. I like to mix it with a little lemon, chopped chilli, black pepper and coriander, and I also love it sprinkled with a few poppy seeds for crunch. Delicious :-)
oh man, I love avocado spread on toast. This is a total step up and I’m definitely going to give it a try!
I’m craving avocado in a big way now — I love these simple ideas!
Thanks for this, and please publish more simple recipes! I had never heard of avocado toast, and I’m gonna go make some right now. A whole new wooooooorld….. ;)
Love avocado toast & this post! I have an avocado waiting just for this purpose, it just doesn’t know it yet. :) Sometimes I layer mashed avocado, hummus, and marinara sauce with sea salt and pepper. Gahhhh.
Oh my, what a combination! I’ll have to try your avocado/hummus/marinara sauce concoction soon.
Beautiful toast, avocado is my all-time favourite food. Congrats on the Saveur nomination, from a fellow finalist (in the video category).
possibly my favourite blog post EVER. you have no idea how much i love avocado :)
From Cupcakes, With Love x
I absolutely LOVE these!!!
yummm
I love avocado toast! My favorite thing is to add fresh sliced tomatoes in summer, but for the rest of year, I like sliced turkey. It’s soooooo delicious! I will have to try it with radishes, though.
These looks great for a fancy snack. Thanks for sharing!
I adore these! Also really yummy with a drizzle of EVOO.
Yummers! What a classic. Takes me back! (Cookie is just the cutest dog ever!)
Thanks Tracy! So nice to finally meet you the other day, and I agree, Cookie is the cutest dog ever. :)
Don’t call it Tartini or Crostini – call it Butterbrot!
Can’t wait to try these. Thank you for the great “plus” ideas.
The photo is sooo gorgeous!
Butterbrot! Now I know how to say it in German. Danke!
Never tried it but guess what I have in my fruit bowl right now! Ha and some lovely French Sea Salt in the cabinet. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing something so simple and elegant. Planning to use it at a baby shower too.
Glorious – beautiful! There is almost nothing I love more than avocado toast.
I just love your pictures and can’t wait to make one of these sandwiches.
Avocado on melba toast with a sprinkle of salt and slices of tomato on the side makes me think of my mommy :) I love this simple snack and i am very interested to try some different variations! Thanks Kathryne!
Ten years ago, my husband and I tooled around Portugal on our honeymoon and I can honesty say that one of our best meals was breakfast in this little Madeira guest house. An avocado, just plucked from the garden outside, a crispy roll and us, going “huh?” until the german couple at the next table took pity on us and showed us the sublime combo that is ripe avocado and crusty bread. It’s still an old favorite. When you have great ingredients, why mess with them?
Yes, avocado toast! I need to buy some avocados for ripening at home.
how about avocado with strawberries or raspberries? and a sprinkle or pumpkin, sunflower, or sesame seeds? sounds good to me at least, will have to try it with your wonderful sounding suggestions! >w<
i haven't had avocado toast in so long…
*squee* now i have lots and lots of toast ideas, <3
I’ve tried smashing raspberries over avocado toast and adding a drizzle of honey. Delicious!
Just devoured two slices – yum! Been thinking about this for weeks and realized its the perfect way to use up ripe avocados I didn’t get to make guacamole with.. So simple and easy.
Avocado toast has been my go-to snack for almost a year. You’re right, there’s something absolutely different about it when it’s smashed, rather than sliced. My favorite topping will always be an over-easy egg!
I love to add balsamic vinegar
Your blog is SO beautiful. All of the pictures and recipes look fantastic, and I am learning so much from you. Thank you, thank you, and I can only hope my blog will look like yours some day!! <3
Thank you for your kind words, Carly! I hope you’ll keep on blogging, your recipes look fantastic.
I love avocado toast too! In the summer I like to put red onion and heirloom tomatoes on my avocado toast as well! I ate that for breakfast almost everyday in August and September in Sonoma, California.
Heirloom tomatoes and red onion on avocado toast? Irresistible! You’re making me crave summer produce. :)
Avocado is the best, love these toasts.
One of my favorites! I never thought of toppings like the ones above…must try soon! My favorite is to make a piece of Ezekiel toast, cut in half, top one side with avo mashed with lemon, sea salt, and pepper, the drizzle hot sauce on top. The other half, avo mashed with sea salt, spread on, then drizzle with honey. Take a bite of one (mmm salty, tangy, spicy) then the other (mm sweet and salty). Then repeat :)
Oh, I’ll have to try you spicy/sweet avocado toasts next! yum.
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