Avocado Toast

Name: Avocado Toast
Prep time: 8 min
Total time: 8 min
Ingredients: 2 slices sourdough or country bread, about 2 cm thick; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle; 1 clove garlic, halved; 2 ripe avocados, they should yield to gentle pressure; 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice; 2 g (⅓ tsp) flaky or fine sea salt; 1 pinch dried chili flakes; 1 pinch black pepper; 2 eggs, poached or fried; see Poached Eggs or Fried Eggs; Quick Pickles (red onion); crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes, radish slices or herbs

Well-seasoned smashed avocado on properly crisp sourdough

Makes: 2 toasts
Hands-on: 8 min
Total: 8 min
Level: Easy

Avocado toast is simple, which is why the details matter: a thick slice toasted until truly crisp, a garlic rub, ripe avocado mashed with lemon and salt, and something sharp or crunchy on top. Get those four right and it is a proper breakfast, not a fashion statement.

Ingredients

2 slicessourdough or country breadabout 2 cm thick
1 tbspextra-virgin olive oilplus more to drizzle
1 clovegarlichalved
2ripe avocadosthey should yield to gentle pressure
1 tbsplemon or lime juice
2 gflaky or fine sea salt (⅓ tsp)
1 pinchdried chili flakes
1 pinchblack pepper

Optional toppings

2eggspoached or fried; see Poached Eggs or Fried Eggs
Quick Pickles (red onion)
crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes, radish slices or herbs

Diet: Vegetarian
Allergens: gluten, egg, milk, mustard, sulphites

Method

Brush the bread with the olive oil and toast in a hot dry pan, under the grill, or in a toaster until deep golden and crisp, 2–3 minutes per side.
While hot, rub one side of each toast with the cut garlic.
Halve the avocados, remove the stones and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, half the salt and pepper, and mash with a fork, leaving some chunks.
Taste: it should be bright and well seasoned. Add more lemon or salt if needed.
Pile the avocado onto the toasts. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the remaining salt and chili flakes, and add any toppings you like.

Why it works

Thick, well-toasted bread has a sturdy, dry crust that holds the creamy avocado without going soggy. Raw garlic rubbed on hot toast melts into the surface, giving flavor without harshness. Acid from the lemon both seasons the avocado and slows browning by limiting the enzymes that oxidize its flesh.