It’s possible I’m breaking some sacred culinary rule when I add burrata cheese to bruschetta. I have visions of Julia Child rising from her grave and chasing me around with a butcher knife. I’m sorry, Julia!

And it’s true, I love her bruschetta just as it is. It’s perfect. Glorious, even. But I also adore those lovely tomatoes resting on fresh, pillowy pieces of burrata cheese that just ooze cream.

Because that’s what burrata cheese is: fresh mozzarella with a creamy center that flows out when you cut it open.

When I first started working for Abigail’s Oven, I posted these pictures on Facebook to show everyone just how wonderful bruschetta could be when made with the Country Loaf. But I thought I’d write up the actual recipe for you, in case you want to make it for yourself. Definitely try it without the cheese. It’s great. It’s classic. Especially if you have an exceptional olive oil.

But you should try it just once with burrata. It’s pretty glorious, too.

My Recipe for Bruschetta with Burrata Cheese

  • Take the best tomatoes you can find and cut them up into chunks. About three cups worth.
  • Five–seven slices of Country Loaf, the larger slices cut in half
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Two cloves garlic.
  • Traditional bruschetta calls for you to rub the garlic into the bread, but I prefer crushing it and letting it infuse the olive oil for ten minutes (Keep a look-out for Julia!)
  • Chiffonade about six-eight basil leaves (Chiffonading is stacking up the leaves, rolling them up, and then cutting them up into thin strips from end to end)
  • A splash of balsamic vinegar
  • Salt
  • Burrata cheese: well, this depends on how much cheese you prefer. I’d start with just enough to cover the bread.
  • Combine a spoonful of the garlic-infused olive oil with the tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt. Let it sit for another ten minutes.
  • Heat up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and brush the bread slices with the rest of the oil. When the oil in the pan is hot, fry the bread slices on both sides until lightly browned.
  • Top with the cheese, the tomato mixture, and a pinch of salt.
  • Enjoy!

Author: Michelle Hubbard is a graduate of Brigham Young University with an English degree and an editing minor. She won Leading Edge’s “Best First Chapter” award and later joined the publication as a slush reader and editor. After attending the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers conference in Sandy, Utah, she became a volunteer and this June was her ninth year as an assistant. She was also a writing officer for Misha Collin’s charity Random Acts, for a period of time. A draft of her middle-grade novel, Oscar and the Ghosts of Paris, placed second with the Utah Arts Council. She lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah, with her husband, sister, two children, and far too many pets.