How To Toast Bread In An Oven

Toast is a comfort food eaten in just about every part of the world. Primarily because bread is almost universally made, in one form or another, no matter where you go. It’s easy to make, cheap, tastes great and is actually good for you when you make it naturally. And it just gets better when you toast it. Here in American we’re used to toasting our bread in a toaster. But what do you do when you don’t have one? There are some great alternatives that actually have some big benefits over a toaster. I like to toast my bread in an old fashioned conventional oven.

Toasting bread in an oven is very easy to do. Basically you just heat the oven to 350° F. Toast your bread on the middle rack on a sheet pan or the grates for about 10 minutes. And flip after around 5 minutes. But as with most things in the kitchen, you can do better than just the basics.

I love to eat toast with butter, avocado, peanut butter, olive oil, different types of cheeses, olives and sometime just plain with some beans or eggs. Try coating it in cinnamon sugar or making it into french toast for a real treat. Making toast in the oven is so simple and easy. I actually prefer using an oven vs a toaster because the toast lays flat which is great for adding my toppings.

Ahead we’ll look at how to toast bread in an oven with some tips, tricks and variables you may not have though to consider.

Benefits Of Oven Toasted Bread

Although most of us are used to making toast in a toaster, an oven is much better. Toasters are popular because they’re small, fast and convenient. But around the world most people make toast in a conventional oven, a grill or over an open fire. Toasters have all sorts of limitations that conventional ovens don’t.

Even large toasters only have 6 slots. But a conventional oven can toast dozens of slices at once.
Toasters have limits on how thick and large the bread can be. But an oven can toast any size or thickness toast. Making great toast is about more than simple white bread.
Try regular sandwich bread, sliced french bread or any other type of bread to make toast in an oven.
Because an oven lays toast flat you can use toppings. This is one of my favorite benefits of preparing toast in a conventional oven..
The broiler setting on a conventional oven makes toast in about the same amount of time as a toaster. Although it takes an oven longer to heat up than a toaster.

Another great thing about making toast in an oven is that I can butter both sides or use different spreads at the same time. I have lots of toast recipes that use butter on one side to create a nice crust with avocado, cheese, olives or meat on the other. This is impossible to do in a toaster.

Use An Oven To Make Large Amount Of Toast?

If your throwing a dinner party and need lots of toast for appetizers or even the main course, an oven is a much better option than a toaster. The time savings alone can make or break the meal. But you need to know your oven and how it cooks.

There are a few common issues with some conventional ovens. Especially if they’re older models. A lot of ovens will heat unevenly inside because the air doesn’t circulate. Newer models have fans that circulate the air and heat more evenly. But if you don’t have one then you may have hot and cold spots around the edges. That’s why most cooks recommend toasting in the center of the oven. But for large scale cooking you may need to push the toast all the way to the edges. There’s nothing you can do to correct it other than adjust your cook time as you go. Cook the outer pieces longer or shorter depending on the temperature. It’s easy to tell if the toast is cooked too little or burnt.

For large toast orders it’s OK to use multiple racks. The important thing is cooking all the toast evenly. If one rack cooks faster then the other then move the toast around to compensate. You may have to adjust faster than every five minutes.

How To Toast Bread In The Oven

This is the standard method I use to cook toast in an oven. As I’ve said earlier, adjust as needed. Everyone’s oven is a little different. Especially if you’ve got an older one like me that has hot and cold spots.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Use a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold all the pieces of bread you want to toast or set them right on the grate.
Place your bread slices in one layer.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the toast for about 5 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crispy. Timing will depend on your oven.
Flip the slices over and put them back in the oven for around another 5 minutes until the top side has browned.
Take the toast out of the oven serve.
Add butter or other toppings however you like.

That’s the standard method but I do lots of fun things with my toast. I love toasting bread with butter or other toppings instead of waiting to butter my bread when it’s done.

Another thing I like to do is toast the bread 5 minutes on one side, flip and then toast only about 3 minutes. Then I put on toppings and finish toasting the last 2 minutes or so with my toppings. This helps the bread from getting soggy if my toppings are wet.

How To Toast Bread In The Oven With A Broiler

This is a quicker method than using the conventional oven. Since it’s so fast I recommend you do it when you have time to watch the toast. It’s very easy to burn bread in a broiler. Especially the first time you try it.

I’d also recommend starting out with a single piece to get a feel for the broiler. It’s safer than burning a loaf of good bread.

Turn on the broiler.
Use a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold all the pieces of bread you want to toast or set them right on the grate.
Place your bread slices in one layer
Bake the toast for 1-2 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crispy. Timing will depend on your oven. And watch that toast. It’ll burn fast in a broiler.
Flip the slices over.
Bake for another minute or two until the top side has browned.
Remove and serve.

Just like with a conventional oven, I like to cook my toast in different ways than just the basics. Try to toast it with toppings already on like butter, garlic, olives and cheese. You can make all sorts of delicious recipes with toast in the oven.

Toppings For Oven Toast

One of the best things about cooking toast in an oven is that it’s cooked flat which means you can bake on all kinds of tasty toppings. Something you definitely can’t do with a toaster.

Butter. An obvious choice that gives toast a golden crust.
Garlic Butter. A great way to make garlic bread.
Avocado. I like my avocado toast slightly warm so I toast the bread 90% and then add avocado at the very end.
Olives. All sorts of olive spreads taste great on crispy toast.
Peppers. Another great choice on toast.
Cheese. Definitely one of my favorites that I put on at the very end.
Beans. Toast and beans is a staple in England and I like it best when they’re baked on.
Sauce. I love making pizza toast. Add the ingredients at the end after both sides are toasted.

These are just a few of my favorite things to put on toast. Experiment and find your own. With so many toppings and breads to choose from it’s easy to try new things.

Slow Toasting Bread In The Oven

This is a great method when you want to slow toast the bread. I like to use it a lot because there’s less chance of me burning it.

Heat the oven to 325° F. Put your bread on the middle rack of the oven, either on a sheet pan or directly on the grates. Toast for 12 minutes total, flipping it halfway through. The lower heat gives you a bit more time and more room for error. It’s also easier to regulate how dark you like the toast.

Slow cooking is also better for many of the ingredients you put on your toast. Especially when you add them at the very end or just want them warmed.

Place an oven rack at the high point in the oven.
Turn the oven to broil and let it to preheat completely before toasting the
bread.Place slices of bread on a baking sheet or right on the grates.
Put the baking sheet in the oven under the broiler.
Turn the bread over as needed.
Toast until both sides are golden brown.

Add ingredients at any time. I have recipes where I add toppings at the beginning, middle and end. Toast is a very versatile food that you can cook in hundreds of ways. Try different combinations of toppings and breads. There’s a lot more to toast then basic white bread and butter.

Toast Thick Bread Slices In An Oven

One of the benefits to toasting your bread in an oven instead of a toaster is that you can use much thicker slices. When most people think of toast they picture thin slices of white bread. But I hardly ever use it when I make toast.

I like to buy thick loafs of all type of bread and slice it myself. Sometimes as much as 2 inches thick. I like a nice thick piece of crispy covered with all sorts of toppings. The extra girth of a thick slice can support heavy foods and wet sauces. One of my favorites is toasted bread with sauce and meatballs. It’s delicious and definitely not possible with a toaster.

Red peppers with olive oil and chunks of garlic are another favorite of mine that you should try. Another recipe that’s not getting made with a toaster. Toast the bread first without any toppings. Once both sides are good and brown take it out of the oven and place your red peppers, garlic, some olive oil and a little Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Let it bake another minute or so until the oils bake into the bread. Just writing this is making me hungry, I’m gonna take my own advise and make some 🙂