Toast is a supreme breakfast option. Cold cereal gets soggy, oatmeal sounds good only on cold winter mornings, and who really makes their own breakfast sandwich? But the ease of toasting a piece of bread, spreading it with cold butter and topping it off with whatever else happens to be in the fridge always hits the spot. It has enough versatility to be sweet or savory, so it can fit the moods of your morning tastes. Here are some ideas and tips for a perfect piece of toast.
Toast is only as good as the bread it is made from, so the first key to good toast is good bread. Visit a bakery with good quality bread and your toast game will never be the same.
But since bakery bread doesn’t have preservatives, it needs to be eaten within a few days of purchase. One way to get around this is to slice the bread and then freeze it. It can go from freezer to toaster to plate with ease. Toast for days.
In searching for delicious ways to eat toast, we started with bread from some local bakeries, detailed below.
Babette’s rye sourdough + coconut oil + avocado + salt
Avocado toast is fast becoming a breakfast classic. Avocado can be the base of so many flavor combinations. Add fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced radishes or a soft-boiled egg. I decided to keep it simple. The mild creamy avocado balanced the strong rye flavor of the bread. I used coconut oil to add a little nutty flavor and salt to bring it all together.
The bread: Babette’s has a robust rye with a dark caramelized crust that needs a sharp bread knife and strong forearms. But this bread rewards your effort with a soft, chewy inside.
Babette’s Artisan Breaks, 3350 Brighton Blvd., Denver, 303- 993-8602;
The Grateful Bread’s lavender sourdough + ricotta + figs + honey
Creamy ricotta with a burst of sweet figs is toast on vacation. The bread was crisped in a pan with butter. The texture is complemented by the smooth ricotta. The sweetness of the figs and drizzled honey add bursts of flavor to the mild ricotta. The flavor and textures sing.
The bread: The Grateful Bread’s lavender sourdough might be the best-smelling bread ever. The crust has a golden caramelization. Its mild, soft, sourdough inside is speckled with small lavender flowers. The lavender adds more aromatics than flavor and could easily swing savory or sweet. Note: The bakery is open to the general public only on Saturdays.
Grateful Bread Co., 429 Violet St., Golden, 303-681-5406
Raleigh Street Bakery’s baguettes + butter + bacon + fried tomatoes
Fried tomatoes and bacon are a loose take on a hearty Irish breakfast. First, fry the bacon to desired doneness (keep the bacon grease hot). Then cut the tomatoes into thick slices. Almost-ripe ones work best; they can handle the heat without falling apart. Put the tomatoes cut side down into the hot bacon grease, let cook for three to four minutes. Do not turn the tomatoes over; the goal is to caramelize one side. Toast baguette slices, and then gently rub with a raw garlic clove (optional). Top the bread with tomatoes and bacon. A fried egg would also be a nice addition.
The bread: The Raleigh Sreet’s baguettes are everything you want a baguette to be: a firm crust that gives way to a soft center. Perfectly imperfect with pinched-off ends showing the mark of being handmade.
Raleigh Street Bakery, 5245 Raleigh St., Denver, 303-709-1020;
The Gluten Escape’s sandwich bread + butter + cinnamon + sugar
Remember those glorious mornings as a child with cinnamon sugar toast? It’s so simple and sweet with no help from mom. But here’s the pro tip: Put the butter and the cinnamon sugar blend on the bread before you toast it. Once the butter and cinnamon sugar are on the cold bread, put in in the toaster oven on bake for about five minutes. Finally, switch to broil until the sugar bubbles. This will caramelize the top, adding flavor and texture.
The bread: The Gluten Escape’s golden sandwich bread is a beautiful color made from a blend of gluten-free flours. It’s chewy and holds together.
The Gluten Escape, 7255 S. Havana St. #110, Centennial, 303- 694-9999;
How do you eat your toast? Let us know by tagging us on Instagram @denverpostfood with the hashtag #ToastIdeas. We will repost our favorites.
