Last Updated on October 23, 2021 by Kimberly Crawford
If you’ve been using toasters for most of your life, you know it’s the easiest way to prepare your favorite loaf of bread, but what if you need to feed a bigger group? Well, this is where your oven could take over and do the toasting for you. Yes, in a single batch instead of toasting two or four slices of bread at a time.
So how does one make toast in the oven? This guide skips other ways to prepare a variety of dishes (that we all know toaster ovens can do), but we’ll zoom in on just one simple breakfast dish: your toasted bread.
Two Ways to Make Toast in the Oven
If you’re going to use your oven for toasting bread, you have two ways to do it: the traditional bake (a bit slower) method and using its broiler function (that’s a bit faster).
Both methods work well and produce that crunch we look for in a good piece of toast. The
Method 1: Slow-Toasting or Baking Bread in the Oven
- ARRANGE THE BREAD. On a baking sheet, lay as many slices of bread you like or need for your recipe. If you’re feeding a group of 5, only place 5 to 7 slices of bread and make sure not to overlap them.
- PREHEAT YOUR OVEN. Before baking, make sure to preheat your oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Move a rack to the middle of the oven, so the hot air could circulate around the bread and you’ll be able to toast the bread evenly
- BAKE TIME. Place the sheet in the oven and let the bread bake for five (5) minutes. Don’t open the oven door during this step (opening the door means you’ll release hot air needed for toasting). Watch your slices of bread go brown and look a bit dry on the top.
OPTIONAL: Add one to two minutes if you’re toasting frozen bread. The added time ensures it gets cooked all the way through.
- FLIP & BAKE THE OTHER SIDE. Bring out the baking sheet, then carefully flip over each slice of bread using a tong. Place the sheet back into the oven and bake them for another five (5) minutes or until the other side is toasted
- ADD TOPPINGS. Once toasted, you can now add the topping of your choice. For most people, smothering it with butter is enough. Others go the extra mile and add jam, avocado, cheese, tuna, or other kinds of toppings.
Method 2: Using the Oven Broiler to Make Toast
This method isn’t as popular, but if you wanted a crunchier and more browned piece of bread, the broiler function would be a perfect way to achieve it.
- PREHEAT YOUR OVEN. Before baking, make sure to preheat your oven to 350 °F (177 °C) for a few minutes.
- PREP YOUR RACK & ARRANGE YOUR BREAD. Move your oven rack to about 3 inches below the broiler’s heating element. Unlike baking your bread, broiling bread means you’ll place the bread directly onto the rack. Arrange as many slices of bread you want, as long as they are placed about half an inch between each slice.
- PRESS BROILER SETTINGS: Most ovens have low or high settings, but others have multiple settings. Just to be sure, always choose the lowest heat settings. If your oven doesn’t have advanced heat settings, just switch the broiler “on.”
- BROIL YOUR BREAD. This process only takes a minute or so. As such, watch over your bread while the oven is toasting the bread to prevent burning. You can leave the oven door open and watch your bread as it broils. If your oven doesn’t let you leave the door open, just close it, then open it up after 1 minute of broiling.
OPTIONAL: If you want your toast darker or crisper, you can broil it for up to 2 minutes on each side.
- FLIP & BROIL THE OTHER SIDE. Once the bread looks golden brown (or darker, if you prefer), pull the rack out and flip the slices of bread over using tongs and an oven mitt. Broil the other side for another 60 to 90 seconds.
- ADD TOPPINGS. Once toasted, you can now add the topping of your choice. For most people, smothering it with butter is enough. Others go the extra mile and add jam, avocado, cheese, tuna, or other kinds of toppings.
Best Toppings for Your Toast
Toast is such a blank canvas that you can use a wide variety of toppings and turn it into something creamy, sweet, savory, cheesy, exotic, and all sorts of mouth-watering combinations. Here are some toppings that would be perfect for your toast:
- smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill
- Scrambled egg
- Mushroom and hummus
- Cheese, garlic and avocado
- sour cream and caviar
- Apple, honey with peanut butter
- pâté
- Strawberry, white cheddar and avocado
- shrimp cocktail
- fresh green chillies and easy-melt cheese
- Avocado and chickpea
- Finely chopped romaine with grated Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing
- chia jam
- Roasted red peppers
- creamed mushrooms
- Banana, granola, honey and chia seeds
- roasted red peppers
- Greek yogurt
- blue cheese, pear and honey
- creamy white beans
- Tuna, avocado and tomatoes
- Ricotta, sliced roasted beets, arugula, and honey
- creamy cheese, turkey and cranberries
- Soft-boiled egg with bacon and avocado slices
- ricotta, thyme and olive oil
- Pistachios and avocado spread topped with honey
- goats cheese and walnuts
- Nutella and orange marmalade
- spicy chicken masala
- Cashew cream cheese
- Baba Ganoush and sprouts
- Bacon and mushroom
- Goat Cheese with strawberries
- Avocado with Vegemite
- Bruschetta
- Fresh salsa with coriander and avocado
- Charred Broccolini with honey and lemon
- Beetroot Spread with Parsley
- Cream cheese and caviar
- Roasted Capsicum and Cucumber Bruschetta
- spiced yogurt and adorned with fried curry leaves and spices
- mashed beans with tomatoes and green chiles
- smoked fish dip
- …and so much more.
When to Add Butter on Toast: Before or After Toasting?
Of course, butter is the simplest, most classic topping for toasted bread. Unlike other fancier toppings above, smothering butter with toast is accepted in many cultures around the world.
So when should you be adding the butter: is it before or after toasting?
If you check out a few recipes of toasting bread in the oven, you’ll be confused because some of them indicate adding butter before toasting, while others instruct you to use butter as topping instead.
The answer to this boils down to your preference:
- If you want crispier toast, put butter on your slices of bread beforehand. Just expect your oven to be a bit messier since butter could melt and drip all over the racks and oven. What happens here is the butter melts all the way through, soaks the bread, then fries it in the oven, so you end up with crispy outsides with soft insides.
- If you want a buttery toast that is still very crispy, put butter on your slices of bread BEFORE AND AFTER.
- If you want the buttery toast but a slightly gooey bread, slather a ton of butter AFTER toasting. The butter doesn’t get fried anymore, so it just softens the crispy exterior of the bread.
Regardless of when you want to add the butter, the key to a perfectly buttered toast is soft butter, since you’ll be able to slather the butter all over the bread without tearing it apart. And because you’re able to spread it thoroughly, all parts (middle and bottom) of the bread will be soaked in rich butter.
How do you Slice Toast
Another debatable topic when it comes to toasted bread is the best way to slice your toast: is it better to slice in triangles? Half? Or leave them whole?
As you can imagine, the answer to this question is also subjective.
In a Twitter “debate” in 2017, many people answered that the triangular-sliced toast is often prepared for kids, or if you’re making toast points (see below) that are ideal for dipping into cheese sauce or hummus.
If you’re topping it with chunks of ingredients, then it’s recommended you leave it whole. For toppings that aren’t bulky (like jam, spreads, or cheese), slicing your toasted bread in half gives you a “bite-sized” feel.
3 Oven-Toasted, Delicious Toast Recipe Alternatives
If you’re not a fan of toast toppings, these toast recipe alternatives would surely make you happy. They’re classics! Made by our grandparents, passed down to our moms, and now you can make them from scratch with your handy oven anytime you like.
1. How to Make French Toast in the Oven
For people who love breakfast food, nothing is more homey and comforting than the smell of French toast at home. To do this in your oven, follow this recipe:
- Preheat your oven to 425°Fahrenheit.
- Slice your bread. If you’re using French bread (as you should), slice it into half-inch-thick slices.
- Spread butter on both sides of the bread slices. Sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon (or more) over the bread.
- On a baking dish, arrange the buttered bread slices. Bake for up to 3 or 4 minutes, flip toast over, then bake the other side for another 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk 3 eggs in a bowl, mix in half a cup of milk, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and half-a-cup maple syrup. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread.
- Bake again for 30 minutes (or until it is golden and firm to touch.)
2. How to Make Cinnamon Toast in the Oven
This recipe is perfect for breakfast, snacks or late-night cravings. To start, get your butter out of the refrigerator.
- Using a fork, smoosh two sticks of softened butter. Mix sugar (about 1 cup for every 2-sticks of butter) 2 to 3 teaspoons of vanilla and 3 teaspoons of cinnamon into the mix. I love cinnamon, so I say add as much as you’d like.
- Spread the mixture on your slices of bread (do up to the edges to avoid burnt edges).
- Arrange your slices of bread in a cookie sheet and bake in your oven for 10 minutes under 350°Fahrenheit.
- Switch your oven to broil setting and let it run for about two minutes. Don’t leave your toast when broiling – it’s quick to crisp your bread and burn if you’re not looking.
- Enjoy your cinnamon toast a bit warm!
3. How to Make Toast Points in the Oven
Toast points look like nachos and are often served with pâté, dips and spreads. If you like chowder and other creamy soups and dishes, toast points could also balance the richness of your meals.
- Toast points have no edges, so you have to remove the crusts from your slices of bread.
- Preheat your oven.
- Melt butter until liquid, but remove from heat before it turns darker.
- Brush one side of your bread with melted butter, sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder or any other herbs, spices and seasonings.
- Cut the bread into triangles and arrange them on a baking sheet with the buttered side up.
- Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until golden. Cool in a rack before serving.
OPTIONAL: You can make this as dessert as well (just sprinkle sugar after baking and eat as is!) Of course, you have to try it for dipping into salsas, hummus, chowder, and any other spreads and side dishes.
The Bottomline: What Makes the Perfect Toast?
Is there a secret to making the perfect toast? It seems like such a simple dish to fail, right? But without the right temperature, it’s probably the easiest to burn as well.
For other people, the indication of a perfect toast boils down to texture and color. By the end of toasting, you should have a golden brown toast with a good crunch to it. Of course, some people like the softness as well, but this can be solved real quick by adding more butter to the slices of bread.
For me, combining bake mode with broil mode is a technique anyone should master if you really want perfect toast every time you’re craving one. If your oven has a broil feature, it’s about time you explore how to use it starting with a plain old toast. I’m sure once you’ve perfected toast, you’ll be broiling to prepare a variety of dishes as well.