Transform Your Morning Toast By Giving It A Literal Twist

Toast is a quintessential breakfast staple that has transformed into countless varieties over the years. Brunch restaurants and breakfast cafes have given toast a starring role by using thick slices of artisanal bread as the foundation for elaborate combinations of gourmet spreads and garnishes. However, even dry white toast can undergo a transformation of its own.

In fact, thin, pliable sandwich bread has the potential to create a show-stopping work of culinary art. Using maneuvers many of us have learned in an elementary school class of arts and crafts, you can modify the shape of a slice of bread by giving it a literal twist. You start by making diagonal slits through each corner, creating a rhombus-like outline in the crumb. The slits will allow you to twist and fold each strip of bread into a four-pointed star with raised edges that form a neat square-shaped compartment for you to fill with your favorite breakfast ingredients.

Gone are the days of using a dry piece of toast to soak up the yolk of a fried egg. This fun and artistic hack will upgrade your toast's presentation without sacrificing its utility as a conduit for spreads and other toppings. Furthermore, toasting the bread after twisting it into its star-shaped mold will reinforce and solidify its shape, akin to firing a ceramic bowl in a kiln.

The twisted toast hack was featured in a viral Instagram video by foodie creator Lily Ghodrati. In the video, Ghodrati adorns her toast with a heaping spoonful of raspberry jam and two thick slices of brie before toasting it. The toast artfully transforms into an elegant and decorative border to a gooey, sweet, and savory center. However, cheese and jam are just the tip of the iceberg of possible toppings.

Drawing inspiration from your local bagel shop, you could spread cream cheese in the center of your twisted toast and top it with overlapping cuts of lox and cucumber rounds. For a twisted take on shakshuka, you can fill the centerpiece with a saute of fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Placing a circular fried egg on top of the twisted star will engender a mandala-like presentation.

If you're a fan of sweet breakfast toast, you can fill the center with Nutella and arrange colorful slices of banana, strawberries, and blueberries in a circular spiral. If you're having a brunch party, you could offer a medley of sweet, savory, and salty twisted toast varieties arranged in a colorful and creative display. If you don't want to melt cheese or soften a spread, you can add toppings to the bread after you toast it. You can also use the same hack to cut and mold pastry dough for star or diamond-shaped danishes.