Best way to make bruschetta and paninis?

Question

Recently I've had two fabulous dishes that I'd like to reproduce at home - but I need help!

#1 - Bruschetta with roasted red peppers and goat cheese. The toppings are pretty easy, but how do I get the bread to be so crispy and not soggy? What is the best bread to use?

#2 - Panini (mine had fresh mozzarella, basil, tomatoes and pesto). Again, what's the best bread to use? How do I get it to be toasted without being soggy? Can I make these without investing in an expensive kitchen appliance?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Answer 1

For crusty bread, the best bread is ciabatta followed by a crusty Italian loaf of some sort. The best way to get it crispy?--the barbecue grill. Also, take a clove of garlic, cut in half and rub on the bread just after grilling. Top with a little salt and olive oil, put on your topping. Yum.

The BBQ makes it less messy too.

For panini toasting. In a pan is fine, you just need something to weight it down.

In general, to prevent sogginess, toast the bread a little (in pan, grill, or toaster) first.

Answer 2

Bruschetta: Try http://www.recipezaar.com/286185 (thats a recipe) RecipeZaar allows you to search by ingredients you want use.