Croatian Bread with Olive Oil (Kruh s maslinovim uljem)

Name: Croatian Bread with Olive Oil (Kruh s maslinovim uljem)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 18 min
Cuisine: Croatia
Ingredients: 8 thick slices rustic country bread, cut about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick (12 oz / 350 g); 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably a peppery Croatian or Dalmatian oil; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthways; 1 tsp (5 g) flaky sea salt, or to taste; 8 cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 tbsp (3 g) roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Kruh s maslinovim uljem Say it: krooh s mah-slee-NOH-veem OOL-yem

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 9, 2026.

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Kruh s maslinovim uljem is the simplest appetizer in Croatia and often the first thing to reach the table: thick slices of country bread, toasted until crisp, rubbed with raw garlic, drenched in new-season olive oil and finished with coarse sea salt. It belongs to the Dalmatian coast and its islands, where oil and bread are treated as a complete food, but it turns up everywhere from konoba tables to home kitchens before lunch. The taste is warm bread, peppery oil and a whisper of garlic.

Croatian Bread with Olive Oil (Kruh s maslinovim uljem)

Kruh s maslinovim uljem

Pronounced krooh s mah-slee-NOH-veem OOL-yem

Serves: 4
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 8 min
Total: 18 min
Level: Easy

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: contains gluten. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

8 thick slices rustic country bread, cut about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick (12 oz / 350 g)
1/2 cup (120 ml)120 ml (1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil, preferably a peppery Croatian or Dalmatian oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthways
1 tsp (5 g)5 g (1 tsp) flaky sea salt, or to taste

To finish (optional)

8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp (3 g)3 g (1 tbsp) roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) or light a grill pan over medium-high heat.
Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet or on the grill and toast for 6–8 minutes, turning once, until golden with crisp, dry edges and a little give in the middle. Watch closely if your bread is thin.
While the bread is still hot, take a cut garlic clove and rub it firmly over one side of each slice, two or three passes; the rough toasted surface acts like a grater and should catch the garlic.
Lay the slices garlic side up on a warm plate and spoon the olive oil over them slowly, letting each slice drink it in — about 1 tbsp (15 ml) per slice.
Scatter the flaky sea salt over the oiled bread from a height so it lands evenly, then let the slices stand for 1 minute so the oil soaks into the crumb.
If using, press a few tomato halves lightly onto each slice and scatter over the parsley.
Serve at once, while the bread is still warm and the oil is fragrant.

Regional variants

Along the coast the same base is often topped with salted anchovy fillets or thin slices of cured ham, which makes it a non-vegetarian dish. Inland, toasted bread is sometimes drizzled with cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil instead of olive oil.

Cook's notes

Slightly stale, firm country bread toasts better than soft fresh loaves — it crisps instead of drying out.
Warm the olive oil gently in a small pan for a minute before spooning it on; it soaks in faster and smells sweeter.
Salt after the oil, never before, or the salt slides off the dry crust.

Serve with

A glass of chilled dry white wine or bevanda (wine with water), alongside olives, cured fish or hard sheep's cheese.

Make ahead and storage

Best eaten immediately; toast the bread up to 3 hours ahead and re-crisp at 350°F (175°C) for 3 minutes before oiling.

Croatian Bread with Olive Oil (Kruh s maslinovim uljem)