Toast is a popular breakfast food that is great with cereal, eggs, bacon, and a variety of other foods. While toast can be easily made in a toaster, some individuals prefer to prepare it under the broiler in the stove. The broiler is located on the roof of the oven, and is used to provide direct heat to only the top of the item being prepared. Though using a broiler to toast bread requires a bit of attention, the toasts often seems to taste better than that prepared in a toaster. Try it out today-you and your family won’t be disappointed!
Pre-heat the Broiler
One of the most important things to remember when it comes to toasting bread under the broiler it to preheat the oven. Preheating the oven not only ensures even cooking, but also makes the process much faster. Allow the broiler to preheat for at least five minutes before placing the toast inside the oven. If your oven takes a long time to warm, more time may be required.
Watch the Bread Closely
Watching the bread closely during the toasting process is also important to ensure adequate cooking, while at the same time preventing the bread from getting burned. Determining how much time is necessary to adequate toast bread is really a trial and error process, as the temperature of the broiler and personal preferences when it comes to the ideal amount of toast color can both contribute to changes in cooking time. For best results, check the bread every few minutes to ensure that it has not gotten too dark. As the color of the toast approaches your desired degree of doneness, more frequent peeks may be necessary. Using the oven pilot light to view the toast, instead of opening the oven every few minutes, can speed up the cooking process.
Flip the Bread to Ensure Even Toasting
Unlike a toaster, which toasts both sides of a piece of bread at the same time, a broiler only toasts the side of the bread which is exposed. This means that once one side of the bread is perfectly toasted, you will need to flip it over to toast the opposite side as well. In most cases, it will take a shorter period of time to toast this second side, as it has already been partially warmed. Check it frequently to prevent burning.
Use Tongs when Removing the Bread
Finally, using tongs when it comes time to remove the toasted bread from the oven requires the use of sturdy tongs. While many people may be tempted to simply grab the toasted bread with their bare hands, this can cause severe burns that may require medical attention. Though it may take slightly longer to use tongs to remove the toast, this added time will save you from headaches in the future.