Thickly-sliced and buttery, this extra-large toast is believed to have been created, in 1941, at the Pig Stand, a drive-in restaurant in Beaumont, Texas. Owner Royce Hailey felt the bread slices they offered were too thin, so he asked his supplier for a thicker cut. The new size didn’t fit in the toaster, so the cooks brushed the slices with butter and toasted them in the oven instead, resulting in a crisp and buttery exterior and a fluffy interior. The “Texas toast” concept stuck — you can even buy it premade in the frozen food section — but it’s almost as easy to slice a loaf of bakery white bread and make it at home. Here, a combination of melted butter and olive oil provide flavor and a golden-brown hue. Feel free to skip the garlic and parsley if you’re looking for just plain toast.

Texas Toast
Ingredients:
• 6 slices thick-sliced white bread (at least 3/4-inch thick)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (optional)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Directions:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees and arrange the bread slices on a sheet pan. In a small bowl, combine the butter, olive oil and salt, as well as the parsley and garlic powder, if using.
Brush each piece of bread generously on both sides with the butter mixture. Bake until the bottoms are golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Flip and bake until the second side is toasted, 3 to 5 minutes more. (It will not take as long as the first side.)

Sprinkle the pieces of toast lightly with salt and serve hot, sliced in half, if desired.

Total time: 20 minutes, serves 6.

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