Cheese on toast might seem like the easiest dish in the world to make, but there is actually a technique to ensure it comes out crispier and more golden. It may seem like a simple recipe, but when cheese is heated too quickly, the fats in it can separate, resulting in a greasy, burnt layer that is not very appealing to eat.
However, Elizabeth, a cook and founder of the award-winning website Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary, has shared a very straightforward way to improve cheesy toast to make it silky smooth: all you need is a little bit of milk. She said, “The secret is to mix the grated cheese with milk and allow the milk to soak into the cheese before sprinkling it over the top of lightly toasted homemade bread.”
It might sound strange, but adding a little milk to cheese helps it melt better so you get a creamier and smoother texture.
Milk helps loosen the proteins in the cheese, which allows it to melt more gradually when heated.
This slower cooking process helps prevent the cheese from becoming oily, rubbery, or brick-hard, which often happens when it is cooked too quickly.
The lactose in milk also encourages even browning, giving the melted cheese a more golden and appetising appearance when it comes out of the oven.
Using milk also adds extra moisture, which softens the cheese and helps it stick more firmly to the bread, reducing the risk of burning around the edges while cooking.
This is a really simple way to improve a cheese toastie. It mimics a cheese sauce without actually having to cook on the stove.
Instructions
To begin, grate the cheese using the thick side of a grater. Then, place in a bowl and mix with the milk until well combined. Set aside your cheese-soaked milk for now.
Preheat the oven to medium-high, then place your bread on the rack. Toast the bread for one to two minutes on each side. You want the outside to the golden but the inside still soft.
Then, spread a little butter on one side of each slice of toast. If you are using any toppings, add them now, unless you are using Worcester sauce, which you can add last.
Use a spoon to add the cheese mixture to each of the toast slices until it is all used up (you will need to use around a quarter of the cheese per toast slice).
Place the toast back in the oven and cook for a few minutes until the cheese has fully melted, resulting in perfectly bubbly cheesy toast.