What are crostini toasts?

What bread to use?
The idea for these crostinis came up when I was trying to figure out how to use the huge Maltese ftira breads before they go bad and moldy. I always feel so bad throwing away food, so I try my best to make use of everything in my fridge before it goes bad. In Malta, they are famous for these super delicious bread loafs called ftira. They are round and baked fresh every morning around the country. I would always buy a few extra from this famous bakery in Qormi which is open 24/7 and store some away in the freezer for a rainy day. One day, I had to make room in my freezer (the freezers in Malta are super small btw!) and had to remove and defrost 2 large ftiras… I had to find someway to use them, so this recipe came about!

Slice the bread

Make the seed mixture

COAT WITH OLIVE OIL & SEED MIXTURE

Arrange on sheet pan & toast in the oven
Preheat your oven to around 300°F / 150°C, and line your sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Arrange your toasts on the pan as best as you can and put them in the oven in the middle rack. Bake them for around 5-8 minutes before taking them them out and flipping them to bake on the other side.
It’s important to keep your eye on these toasts as they’re baking. I can’t really give you a precise time as it depends on the type of bread you used, how thinly you sliced it and your oven’s settings. I usually hang out around the oven, have a coffee in one hand and long tongs in the other – waiting to flip them!


Make crostini!
