Restaurant-quality Melba toast is so easy to make at home with this one-ingredient recipe!
Everything You Need To Know
Easy Melba Toast
Melba toast is the best thing since sliced bread and it certainly is the best thing to do with sliced bread! Delicious with dips, cheese or soup, it is light and low in fat.
Accept no boring packet substitutes. Effortlessly impressive, light and crunchy, Melba toast takes moments to make and is so much better than dull shop-bought crackers for serving dips or paté. That delicious, elegant curve makes it perfect for scooping a soft dip or mousse.
I’ve been making this for parties for years. Once you are in the rhythm of it, you can easily make buckets of Melba toasts. Homemade Melba toast will always impress and is far more economical than buying crackers.
The fact that it is made from the one ingredient most of us have in the house all the times means that you can always rustle some up at no notice. No cheese crackers? No problem!
What is Melba Toast?
Melba toast is a finely sliced piece of bread, double toasted, so that it’s crispy all the way through without any soft middle.
It was invented by the legendary Auguste Escoffier, head chef at London’s Savoy hotel, for Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba. The story is that Dame Nellie was unwell and wanted a light, easily digestible snack. She was quite the inspiration, as Peach Melba was also invented for her.
What Bread Should I Use For Melba Toast?
The best bread to use is plain, medium sliced soft white bread. Toastie or sandwich bread is ideal because you want the slices to be as square as possible. This means there is less waste when you trim the crusts off.
Thinly sliced bread can be hard to split, and thickly sliced bread is just too thick. You want lovely light crispy crackers, so go for something in the middle!
How to Make Melba Toast
Step one – Switch on your grill/broiler to medium to warm up.
Toast plain white bread in the toaster until just golden.
Step two – Cut the crusts off each slice to form a square, and then cut each slice diagonally into two triangles.
Pro Tip
You can use a cookie cutter here to cut any shape you want. I like the classic simplicity of triangles, and there is less waste.
Step three – Use a serrated knife to split each slice through the middle. It is easiest to do this when the bread is still warm from the toaster. I find I can easily prepare two slices of while the next two slices are toasting in the toaster.
Step four – Use your fingers to gently rub each slice to remove any crumbs, so your Melba toast is as thin as it can be. This is why you want to use a medium or thin sliced bread.
Step five – Grill, untoasted side up, until your Melba toast crackers are golden brown and the edges have curled up.
Pro Tip
Do not take your eyes off the toasts while you are grilling them as they can burn within seconds. Most grills/broilers will have hotspots, so as each piece is cooked remove it and keep juggling the other pieces around.
Easy Melba toast recipe – hints, tips and questions
The best way to make Melba toast crackers is to get a production line going, trimming and splitting while the next 2 or 4 slices are toasting, depending how fast you can work.
When grilling/broiling the Melba toasts you MUST watch them carefully, as they burn very fast.
Can I use brown / wholemeal bread?
Absolutely – although I prefer white bread. I don’t recommend seeded bread because it is harder to split each slice in half neatly.
Can I use Sourdough bread?
Yes, although it is slightly harder to cut neatly, and the finished slices might have holes in, which makes it harder to scope up your dips!
Can I use gluten free bread?
Absolutely. Pick your favourite brand and make in exactly the same way as regular Melba toast.
Can I make Melba toast ahead?
Yes. It will go stale, however, if you keep it too long. I usually make it the day before I need it. Make sure the toasts are completely cool after grilling (warm toast will produce condensation and you do not want the entire batch to go soggy). Then store in an airtight box.
What do I do with all the crusts?
I have a policy of waste not, want not and try never to throw any food away. Dry the crusts out under the grill as with the toasts, allow to cool and crush to crumbs either in a plastic bag or in a coffee or spice grinder. Store in an airtight container and use within a few days, or freeze. Use them in any recipes that call for regular or panko breadcrumbs.
from other blogs
- Charlotte’s baked fish and chips
- Kate’s vegan black bean burgers
- Ryan’s chicken schnitzel
More dips and chips
If you love these Melba toasts then you can also make easy homemade tortilla chips from wraps.
Some of my favourite dips
Easy Melba toast
Ingredients
- 2 slices plain white sandwich bread
Instructions
- Switch on the grill. (USA - the broiler)
- Toast the bread until just pale golden.
- Carefully split each slice through the middle with a serrated knife.
- Rub the uncooked side of each slice to remove crumbs .
- Place the toast slices, uncooked side up, on a baking tray. Grill until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them as they cook, as they turn from golden to overcooked very quickly.
- As each Melba toast is coked remove from under the grill and rearrange the others.
- Allow to cool and enjoy with your favourite dips.
Notes
Melanie
Gosh, this reminds me of my Grandmother. I was fascinated to watch her make this. Brilliant. Such a good thing to make, and so versatile.
Helena
What a great idea. I hadn’t even considered how easy this was, and how much better it is to make your own. Delicious with pate.
Esther Bridges
I had no idea of the origins of Melba toast. How interesting. It has always been popular in our family, and with it being so easy to make you should always make your own. Far better when fresh.
tammy
Who knew Melba toast was so easy to make? I really didn’t. I have learnt something new today. Brilliant.
Florrie
I much prefer this method of making your own and having it fresh. So easy to make and very cost effective.
Wendy M
Deliciously crispy and great with soup. A lovely low cal alternative to usual bread.
Gemma
Easy to follow instructions for making the perfect melba toast. I hadn’t realised just how easy.
Sadie Porter
Melba toast was often served with kippers when I was younger. Great to make your own and so easy too.
Polly Sanderson
Crazy how good this simple toast is. Had it with baked Camembert and it was just fabulous.
Karmel
Crispy and far better than shop bought. So very versatile and easy to make.
Paul W
Love this stuff, crispy and light and good with cheese. Really easy to make your own.
Jermaine
I have such a bad sense of timing that my first TWO batches burnt! My fault entirely. But the third go was successful enjoyed it with soup. Thanks, Helen.