Fettunta

Fettunta (Tuscan Grilled Bread with Olive Oil)

Fettunta is the classic Tuscan appetizer of crusty bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled generously with new-season olive oil. Simple, rustic, and the purest expression of good bread and great oil.

Prep

5 min

Cook

5 min

Total

10 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) unsalted Italian bread, Tuscan pane sciocco or a rustic country loaf, 1-2 days old
• •2 whole garlic cloves, halved crosswise, or null
• •120 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, new-press Tuscan if possible, plus extra for finishing
• •1 g (¼ tsp) flaky sea salt
• •1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, optional

Steps

1. 1 Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium-high heat, or heat a cast-iron grill pan on the stove until very hot. If using a broiler, position the rack about 10 cm (4 in) from the element and preheat.
2. 2 Slice the bread into thick slices about 1.5 cm (just over ½ in). If the loaf is very crusty, lightly moisten one side of each slice with water to soften the crust so the garlic clove can be rubbed without tearing the crumb.
3. 3 Grill the bread dry (no oil) on the cut sides for 1-2 minutes total, until well marked with char lines and crisp on the outside but still slightly chewy inside. Do not oil the bread before grilling - the classic Tuscan method toasts it dry so it absorbs the fresh oil later.
4. 4 While the bread is still hot, take a halved garlic clove and rub the cut side firmly over the toasted surface of each slice. Discard the garlic after rubbing.
5. 5 Place the rubbed toasts on a platter and immediately drizzle generously with the extra-virgin olive oil, letting it pool and soak into the crumb. Use enough that each slice is glossy and saturated, about 15 ml (1 Tbsp) per slice.
6. 6 Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and, if you like, a grind of black pepper. Serve at once while the bread is still warm so the oil carries its full aroma.