If you've failed to achieve cafe-calibre crisp on your homemade toasts or garlic breads even after multiple attempts, you're not alone. It's not unusual for garlic breads, toasties or even toasts to taste better when you order them at a restaurant, bistro or cafe. As it turns out, they are doing something differently in terms of the heat and equipment.
Interestingly, while commercial toasters are often used in restaurant kitchens to handle larger quantities of bread slices, most fine diners or upscale eateries opt for grilling or stovetop cooking for toasting their bread. This method of making garlic bread or toast offers a more consistent crisp and even charred effect, overall.
Why Are Griddles Better Than Toasters?
Though not the healthiest option (because griddle toasts need butter or oil) most chefs prefer griddle over toasters. A toaster uses infrared radiation to toast bread which gradually dries and chars the bread. But a toaster oven's heat usually comes at the bread from two different levels and since the bottom tier heater is usually closer to the bread than the top tier the toast actually doesn't cook evenly.
A griddle, on the other hand, provides a large, flat cooking surface with even heat distribution. which lets bread get toasted uniformly, avoiding uneven browning or cold spots. It allows for more control over the toasting process since the temperature can be adjusted to achieve the desired level of browning or crispiness. Direct contact with the cooking surface can lead to a slightly crispier exterior while maintaining a soft interior.
Food columnist J. Kenji López-Alt, who wrote the book titled "The Food Lab," pointed out that the stovetop method relies on basic conduction. According to López-Alt, this method results in more consistent cooking and browning, yielding toast that retains moisture and chewiness instead of becoming overly crisp like a crouton. Another factor is the use of butter; chefs widely believe that using butter while toasting ensures that the bread maintains its crispiness while the butter melds seamlessly throughout the entire slice.
However, we rarely use butter when we are putting our bread into a toaster. Butter helps to keep the bread moist during toasting, preventing it from becoming overly dry. This can result in a toast that has a desirable combination of crispiness on the surface and a softer, more chewy interior.