At its simplest, Texas Toast is just white bread that’s sliced double-thick and slathered with butter before being toasted. Crisp and buttery on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, Texas Toasts are perfect for mopping up drippings from brisket (try making a sandwich), or a plate of beans.
I like adding garlic and smoked paprika to the butter, for a bit more flavor. Adding smoked paprika to the butter not only gives the toasts a great smoky flavor, it also gives them a cowboy worthy tan. Topped with some fried eggs these also make for a tasty breakfast.
Although Texas Toast usually involves buttering both sides, I prefer adding extra butter to just one side, as doing both sides tends to make a mess in the broiler/ toaster oven. While you can avoid the mess by using a baking sheet, the toasts won’t crisp up as well as doing them directly on the rack. Still if you want to butter both sides, go for it, just keep in mind you’ll need to double the amount of spread for 4 pieces of toast.
Lastly for those of you worried about such things like diet, don’t skimp on the butter. You need a thick layer of butter on each slice of toast to form a caramelized crust of milk solids that makes this toast taste like it’s got cheese on top. If you’re worried about the amount of butter, skip this and go make yourself a salad.
Smoky Texas Toast
This homemade version of Smoky Texas Toast is better than anything from the refrigerator section. (Recipe Credit: Marc Matsumoto of Fresh Tastes)
- 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1 large clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 slices white sandwich bread, sliced double-thick
- Parsley, minced for garnish
Ingredients
- Put the butter, garlic and paprika in a small bowl and use a spatula to mix until evenly combined.
- Spread the butter mixture onto double-thick sliced sandwich bread from edge to edge in a thick enough layer that you can't see the pores in the bread.
- Toast the bread with the buttered-side up in a toaster oven or broiler directly on the rack until the top is crisp and well browned with. Be careful as there is a fine line between toasty and burnt.
- Sprinkle with parsley for garnish and serve immediately.
Directions
Marc Matsumoto is a culinary consultant and recipe repairman who shares his passion for good food through his website norecipes.com. For Marc, food is a life long journey of exploration, discovery and experimentation and he shares his escapades through his blog in the hopes that he inspires others to find their own culinary adventures. Marcs been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and has made multiple appearances on NPR and the Food Network.