Tokyo-Style Pizza Toast
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Pizza toast is a throwback snack popularized in Japan’s classic kissaten coffee shops. The first kissaten to serve pizza toast — milk bread topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella and pizza toppings, toasted until the cheese is melted and bubbling — is reportedly Cafe Benisica in Tokyo, in 1964, which is still operating. The key to this version is to first make toasty garlic bread, and I use marinara instead of the yoshoku (“Western-style food”) tradition of making a ketchup-based tomato sauce. Add the sauce and pizza toppings to the garlic bread and continue to bake it in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and melted.
Note: This makes more garlic butter than you will need for the recipe; save any left over for another use (more garlic bread). It will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks. (For Valentine’s Day, cut the pepperoni into hearts, if desired.)
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, using a rubber spatula, mix the softened butter with the garlic, parsley, oregano and salt.
Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread a thin layer of the garlic-butter mixture over the top of each slice of bread, covering it entirely from edge to edge.
Place the milk bread slices, buttered side up, on a baking sheet and toast until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Divide the tomato sauce evenly among the four slices of toast, spreading it in a thin layer over each. Top each slice with 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Add small dollops of burrata, if using. Top with pepperoni slices. Return to the 400-degree oven and bake until the cheese is melted, bubbly and golden in some places, about 10 minutes. The bottom of the toast should be golden. Serve immediately.
