Vegemite on Toast

Vegemite on Toast

Australia's iconic breakfast: crisp, hot buttered toast with a thin scrape of Vegemite. The trick is less is more — too much overwhelms the buttery bread beneath.

Prep

2 min

Cook

3 min

Total

5 min

Serves

1

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •2 slices bread, sliced sandwich bread, such as Tip Top or Helga's; sourdough also works
• •10 g (2 tsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, or null
• •2 g (½ tsp) Vegemite, use sparingly; a little goes a long way, or null

Steps

1. 1 Toast the bread under a grill (broiler) on medium, about 2-3 cm from the heat, for 2-3 minutes until evenly golden on both sides, flipping once. Alternatively, use a toaster set to a medium-dark setting. In Australia, many cooks prefer the grill so the surface stays flat and hot for the butter to melt into.
2. 2 Transfer the hot toast immediately to a plate. Spread the softened butter across the entire surface while the toast is still hot so it melts into a thin, even layer right to the edges.
3. 3 Using a butter knife, scoop up a small amount of Vegemite (about ½ tsp per slice). Spread it very thinly over the buttered toast — you should still see the butter through it. Vegemite is intensely savoury and salty, so resist the urge to add more; the traditional Australian approach is a barely-visible layer.
4. 4 Cut the toast in half diagonally, or leave whole, and serve immediately while hot. Optional accompaniments, common in Australian homes: a poached or fried egg, sliced avocado, sliced tomato, or a few slices of cheddar cheese melted under the grill before adding the Vegemite.