Caprese Toastie
A caprese toastie is mostly a moisture problem: fresh tomato and mozzarella are full of water, and a sealed toastie maker traps it all. Salt the tomato slices and let them drain for 10 minutes, press the mozzarella between kitchen paper, and add a little grated cheddar or low-moisture mozzarella as a melting base. Cook for about 4 minutes and finish with basil and balsamic.
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Recipe: Caprese toastie
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bloomer or ciabatta-style sliced bread, trimmed to fit the plates
- 1 medium vine tomato (about 80g), cut into 5mm slices
- ¼ tsp flaky sea salt
- 60g fresh mozzarella (about half a 125g ball, drained weight)
- 20g low-moisture mozzarella or mild cheddar, grated
- 1 tsp green pesto (optional)
- 4–5 fresh basil leaves
- ½ tsp balsamic glaze, to serve
- 1 tsp olive oil or 10g butter for the outside
Method
- Lay the tomato slices on a double sheet of kitchen paper, sprinkle with the salt and leave for 10 minutes. Blot the tops dry.
- Meanwhile, tear or slice the fresh mozzarella into 5mm pieces, lay them on kitchen paper and press with another sheet to remove excess whey.
- Preheat the toastie maker with the lid closed.
- Brush or butter one side of each slice. Spread the pesto, if using, on the other side of the bottom slice and place it oiled-side down on the bottom plate.
- Scatter on half the grated cheese, then the tomato slices in a single layer, keeping them 1.5cm from the edges. Add the fresh mozzarella and the rest of the grated cheese.
- Top with the second slice, oiled-side up, and close the lid gently.
- Cook for 4 minutes until golden. Open, tuck the basil leaves inside, drizzle with balsamic glaze and rest for 1 minute before cutting.
Why salting the tomato works
Tomatoes are about 94% water, much of it held in the seeds and jelly around them. Salt draws liquid out of the cut surfaces by osmosis, so 10 minutes on kitchen paper removes a surprising amount of juice that would otherwise turn to steam inside the toastie. It also seasons the tomato and concentrates its flavour. Firmer varieties with fewer seeds, such as plum tomatoes, release less liquid to begin with.
Fresh mozzarella is stored in whey and is much wetter than the low-moisture blocks used on pizza. It melts creamy and milky rather than stretchy, which is the point of a caprese, but it needs pressing. The small amount of grated low-moisture cheese gives the melt structure and forms a barrier between the wet ingredients and the bread. Our best cheese for toasties guide explains the difference between the two mozzarellas.
Basil goes in after cooking. Cooked in a sealed toastie maker it blackens, turns bitter and loses its fragrance. Balsamic glaze also goes on afterwards, since it is sugary and would catch on the plates.
Other machines and methods
In a deep fill toastie maker, use a whole drained 125g ball of mozzarella and a larger tomato; cook for 5 minutes. Caprese is excellent in a panini press with ciabatta, because the open sides let steam escape; cook 4–5 minutes. In a frying pan, cook over medium for 2–3 minutes a side (see frying pan toastie). In the air fryer, 180°C for 7–8 minutes, turning halfway.
Variations
- Burrata: replace the fresh mozzarella with 60g burrata, drained well. Cut the cook to 3½ minutes.
- Roasted tomato: use 6 halved cherry tomatoes roasted for 15 minutes; drier and sweeter.
- Prosciutto caprese: add 1 slice of prosciutto over the tomato.
- Sun-dried tomato pesto: swap green pesto for red, and use fewer fresh tomatoes.
- Avocado: add 3 thin slices of avocado after cooking, with the basil.
Prefer something simpler? Our cheese and tomato toastie uses cheddar and is quicker, while the pizza toastie uses concentrated tomato purée instead of fresh slices.
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the salt and drain: the single biggest cause of soggy caprese toasties.
- Tomato at the edges: wet slices at the crimp stop it sealing and let juice escape. See how to stop toasties leaking.
- Thick tomato slices: over 5mm and they stay cold and raw in the middle.
- Balsamic before cooking: the sugar burns. Add it at the end; why toasties stick explains what sugar does to non-stick plates.
More vegetarian ideas live in our toastie recipes collection.
FAQs
Can I use pre-grated mozzarella only?
Yes. It will be stretchier and less creamy, but much less likely to go soggy. Use 60g and still salt and drain the tomato.
Which bread is best for a caprese toastie?
A firm white bloomer or sliced ciabatta holds up well to the moisture. Trim ciabatta to fit sealed plates; see best bread for toasties.
Is it better in a panini press?
Many people prefer it there. The open sides vent steam, so the bread stays crisper, though you lose the sealed pocket.