This delicious burrata toast is the perfect light dinner, snack or appetizer made with creamy burrata and topped with an assortment of fruits and herbs. I give you three different ways you can top the crispy toast and burrata - from using honey as a compliment to the creaminess, to roasted tomatoes for a burst of flavor.
The best part is you can customize your burrata toast to have either sweet or savory toppings, even outside of my suggestions. Berries and fresh herbs, apples and honey, or a mixture of fresh tomatoes and basil make the perfect toppings and I’ll show you how to do all three.
These toasts with burrata make the perfect appetizer for a cocktail party or BBQ, or a light and quick dinner when you don’t have much energy.
Creamy burrata toast pairs well with simple baked chicken kabobs, a fresh strawberry and peach salad, or grilled flank steak and chimichurri sauce.
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What is Burrata?
Burrata is a type of fresh cheese, similar to mozzarella, but with a softer, creamy inside. While the outside layer is firm, once you break it open, you’ll see a very soft and spreadable cheese that’s incredibly decadent.
The flavor is light like mozzarella so it pairs well with many different flavors. This is where a little bit of acid and sweetness can balance the savoriness of the cheese.
Burrata can usually be found at most grocery stores, but I find the best deal to be at Trader Joe’s. It comes packed in a tub with water. Just drain the water and carefully lift the ball of burrata - they break easily!
You can use the entire piece from the outer shell to the creamy insides to spread on the toast.
Choosing the Best Toast
Because burrata can be kind of thick and heavy, it’s best to select a bread that can hold it up, like a thick Italian ciabatta, rustic wheat bread or baguette.
The toast is best sliced thick in about ¾ to 1 inch slices. I recommend purchasing a whole loaf that has not been pre-sliced so you can do this yourself.
A serrated knife will make it easier to get an even cut on thick pieces of bread.
Ingredients
- Bread - choose a whole loaf or consider making your own at home, which is so easy to do with a dutch oven. Slice it thick.
- Burrata - Choose an unflavored burrata, packed in water, if planning on using any of the fruit toppings. Truffle burrata is also available and I would recommend using that plain with toasted bread and freshly cracked pepper.
- Olive oil - I use extra virgin olive oil to toast the bread.
- Toppings - Fresh fruit, seeds, herbs, tomatoes, and some vegetables like roasted peppers, mushrooms, or fresh cucumber make great toppings. I’ll give you some more ideal pairings below.
How to Make Burrata Toast
Step 1: Toast the bread
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay thick slices of bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle both sides of the bread with olive oil and rub it all over to coat evenly. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown on both sides, flipping halfway through.
Step 2: Spread the burrata
Carefully break apart the burrata into pieces and spread on top of each slice of toasted bread. The burrata will have some mozzarella like texture to it, and a creamy inside so make sure you get a bit of both on top.
Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Step 3: Layer with toppings
You can eat the burrata toast plain or top with fresh fruit, honey, vegetables, or tomatoes. See combination ideas below.
Burrata Toast Combinations
Because of the mild, creamy flavor of burrata, it pairs well with many different flavors from sweet to savory. Here are a few of my favorite combinations.
- Roasted tomatoes and basil or oregano
- Sliced honeycrisp apples, drizzle of honey, pepitas
- Hot honey
- Roasted grapes and thyme
- Strawberries and fresh mint (any kind of berries will work!)
- Thinly sliced cucumber and basil
- Roasted red peppers and fresh rosemary
- Sautéed mushrooms with fresh rosemary
- Fresh, sliced heirloom tomatoes
Roasted Tomatoes and Burrata
While some combinations involve little to no cooking, one of my favorites is roasted tomatoes and burrata on toast.
To do this, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Roll the cherry tomatoes around to make sure they are fully coated.
Roast for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are beginning to soften. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool at least 5-10 minutes before topping on the burrata toast.
Serving Suggestions
Burrata toast can easily make a full, light meal or be served as an appetizer. For an appetizer I would recommend pairing with another meal that’s not heavy or doesn’t contain a lot of cheese. A few of my favorites are:
If you’d like to use up some extra burrata try this Strawberry and Peach Burrata Salad.
Substitutes for Burrata
If you can't find burrata or it's out of your budget, here are a few other suggestions that you can use with this recipe.
- Mascarpone cheese - An Italian cream cheese.
- Fresh mozzarella - Use really good quality mozzarella in a whole ball, not hard or shredded.
- Fresh ricotta cheese - It's essential to choose a ricotta without gums, as this can lead to a grainy texture. Calabro and Liuzzi are two of my favorites.
In certain cases, goat cheese will work, but it does have a stronger flavor that doesn't always agree well with certain ingredients. If you leave a comment on the post, I can help with flavor combinations.
Finally if you want to use cream cheese, I recommend my cream cheese toast recipe.
Storage Notes
If you’re planning to make this ahead, toast the bread up to 1 hour before serving. Then place the burrata and toppings right before serving.
Do not make burrata toast in advance. Pre-toasted bread that sits for a while can become stale and isn’t as crispy. And the burrata can make the toast soggy.
This will not store well overnight. Only make enough that you will eat immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Occasionally lightly burned toast can be salvaged! Take a kitchen knife and scrape the burnt toast part over the edge of your sink or trash can. The burnt part should flake off and leave you with a golden brown underneath.
If you have some burrata leftover, I recommend pairing it with a salad, on top of a flatbread pizza, or even just with crusty bread and pesto for dipping. You could also use it in lazy lasagna.
Once the burrata container has been opened, use the cheese within 4-5 days to prevent it spoiling. Keep in the water it comes with and gently remove when ready to use.
Toast Recipes
If you make this, tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And if you love the recipe, please leave a review below! Follow along on my Pinterest for more great recipes.
Burrata Toast
Ingredients
Burrata Toast
- 6 slices good quality bread, sliced ½" thick
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 balls fresh burrata (about 8oz)
- kosher salt and fresh black pepper
Roasted Tomato
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup thinly sliced basil
Apples and Honey
- 1 large honeycrisp apple
- 2 teaspoons honey
Strawberry and Basil
- 8 oz fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss tomatoes with olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Bake for 15-20 minutes until beginning to soften. Remove from oven and allow them to cool.
- Spread bread slices on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil on both sides. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until just golden brown on both sides, flipping halfway through. Remove from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, gently take the burrata out of the water and pat very carefully with a paper towel. Tear into pieces, placing about ⅓-1/2 on each toast and spreading around to get a little bit of the shell exterior and the inner cream. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of kosher salt and black pepper.
- Top the burrata with roasted tomatoes, sliced strawberries, and sliced apple respectively. On the apple, drizzle the honey over top. On the strawberries and tomatoes, sprinkle the basil. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Substitutes for burrata include mascarpone cheese, really good quality ricotta, and fresh mozzarella.
- Mint also works well as a replacement for basil on the strawberry. Oregano works well with the roasted tomatoes.
Ann says
Delicious and easy!