The Key to Making Delicious Open-Faced Toast from Scratch

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When I visited Primland Resort earlier this summer, I sat down for lunch at the Laurel Bar and looked at the menu. Contemplating a burger or a crispy chicken sandwich, I had a hard time deciding. Luckily, my server swooped in and saved the day. “The open-faced mushroom toast is one of the best things we offer,” she said. “It’s very popular.”

Vegetarian food isn’t usually my thing – although I do love all vegetables – and I rarely get excited about the prospect of open-faced toast. Still, I have to admit, the description sounds pretty good: sautéed mushrooms, black garlic aioli, farmer’s cheese, onions, and a sunny-side-up egg.

let’s do it.

When I took my first bite, I was immediately glad I did. A wonderful mix of flavors, sweet, sour, bitter, salty, layered and satisfying. “Everything in this dish is very bright in its own way, and they dance well together,” Sean Maloney, Primland’s executive chef, told me later.

Inspired by this experience, I quickly began researching other delicious and delicious toasts on menus at golf resorts and clubs across the country. What’s more, I asked chefs at these clubs and resorts to share their best tips for making eye-catching, delicious toast from scratch. Here, I present their collective guidance; think of this as a roadmap to extraordinary, open-ended toasts you can’t miss.

Start from scratch

Whenever Maloney thinks about making a new gourmet toast, he always starts with bread—probably the most important ingredient in the dish, and he’s not the only one who thinks so. Geoffrey Lichtenberger, executive chef at Rossa Kitchen and Patio at McDowell Hills Golf Club, serves open-face sandwiches with delicious ingredients like crisp soppressata, fragrant onions and truffle oil. However, he said grilled focaccia is one of the key ingredients, and the choice of bread depends entirely on how you imagine yourself or others eating the finished product. “Is this going to be a fork-and-knife affair? Would softer bread be acceptable?” he asked. “If you’re going to pick it up and eat it with one hand, you might want a sturdier bread.”

Kimberly Backman, executive chef at the Omni Tucson National Resort and Spa, agrees. “Use your favorite type of bread,” she says. “It’s the basis of toast and it absolutely makes a difference. Good bread should be the first ingredient.”

favorite ingredient

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that great toast is limited to certain ingredients. “You can ‘bake’ most of your favorite foods,” Maloney admits. “This could be a really fun game.”

In particular, the chef often adds a variety of dipping sauces, which he likes to contrast with crispy ingredients, whether it’s wasabi peas, garlic chips, sesame strips or crispy green onions. “Just search the bulk food area,” he said. “Go to your local farmer’s market and find the most beautiful and delicious local produce.”

Lichtenberg is a big fan of aioli and good mayonnaise, and he prefers the latter. “If not, it’s one of those things, this “It’s the most versatile condiment out there,” he says, “and it adds so much in terms of flavor and texture.”

Emily Brubaker, director of the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, also pays attention to texture when adding cheese, preferring soft cheeses like Neuchâtel, goat cheese or brie. “Slathered with brie, grape slices, chives and pecans, and a drizzle of honey, it’s an absolute treat,” she reveals. “Or herbed goat cheese with beet slices, orange slices and walnuts.”

best advice

Brubaker often incorporates soft, spreadable cheese, but it does more than just texture or flavor. “The spread is key because it prevents the toast from becoming too soggy,” she says. Keeping the toast crispy preserves its integrity.

It turns out that the way you toast your bread also makes a difference. Just ask Chef Backman, who revealed her secret weapon: always toasting bread with butter. “It adds extra richness and helps elevate your toast,” she says. “Then whatever additional toppings you choose to put on your toast will be enhanced.”

Lichtenberg likes to think about making the dish for others — even if he’s the only one eating it. “Personally, I have more fun cooking for other people than cooking for myself,” he admits, “and I find that my imagination runs brighter when I cook for others.”

No matter who you’re cooking for, don’t second-guess your initial idea. Greg Lopez, executive chef at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa, believes this is the first and most important rule when conceptualizing savory toast. “In almost all cultures, humans have been serving food on cooked bread for centuries,” he said. “Our instincts are designed for this, so trust them and have fun!”

Common mistakes

The only real mistake you can make when you’re trying a new gourmet toast comes down to quantity—both the number of ingredients combined together and the number of ingredients used. Chef Maloney likes to think about Coco Chanel’s first rule of fashion: Before leaving home, look in the mirror and take off one thing. “At some point,” he said, “we need to get out of our own way and let food take its course.”

For Chef Lopez, it’s a matter of proportion. “The toppings should only make up 30 to 40 percent of the complete toast,” he instructs. “Consider a thin but distinct layer of topping so you get the crunch of the bread enhanced by the other ingredients. If your topping layer is the same thickness as the bread, you’ve gone too far.”