Posh Toast: Over 70 recipes for glorious things on toast

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So perhaps it's not a case of when the artisan toast trend will hit these shores, but whether it has actually been going on for years. Yotam Ottolenghi sparked a mini-craze for "self-toasting" at UK cafes in the noughties when he put toasters on the communal table at his London flagship. Food writer and chef Tom Norrington-Davies included a chapter on toast in his both his 2004 cookbook Just Like Mother Used to Make and 2005's Cupboard Love. "A good piece of toast can form the basis for a pretty wholesome meal," he says. Jammy figs, salty pancetta, dusty gorgonzola and a drizzle of truffle honey make a strong team in this fantastic crostini recipe. If you’re a fan of a sweet and salty combo, this one’s for you.

x 400g can beans 2 eggs Dash milk Salt Pepper 2 slices bread 2-3 tbsp oil 2 tsp yeast extract spread 100g strong Cheddar, grated White button mushrooms are not the strongest tasting for the mushroom lover, but if that is what you have available, go for it! Those of us who aren’t fond of cheese have to turn to another dairy-based method for turning leftovers into a passable meal – yoghurt, turmeric and a very broad interpretation of what the word “curry” means.Scroll on down and find 14 ways to make a slice of toast a tad more exciting – and don’t forget to experiment with your own flavours at home, too!

Artisan toast is a natural next step for a country where it is increasingly possible to find great sourdough everywhere from village bakeries to large supermarkets. The only question is: how much are you prepared to pay for it? "Good toast made from proper, slow-raised sourdough is worth paying for … within reason," says Norrington Davies, who suggests SF's tech whizzes could save a little cash by buying sourdough loaves, "investing in a good toaster" and making it at home themselves. But this rather misses the point: after all, who would be there to see that? Mushrooms - Obviously the star of the dish. The type of mushrooms really depends on personal taste preference and what is available to buy in your local shop. We always buy huge amounts of chestnut mushrooms which are ideal for so many recipes such as these Mushroom and Nut Filo parcels or these Mushroom and Walnut Palmiers. A meaty, nutty type of mushroom that has enough flavour to stand up against a strong herb like thyme. If you like exotic or wild mushrooms, such as shiitake mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, then go ahead and experiment. Again, either dried or fresh parsley is great - We go through tons of dried parsley and as I mentioned earlier, a bonus of this recipe is using mainly store cupboard ingredients so dried it is! I sprinkle a pinch of parsley on top of the mushrooms once in the dish too. Toast the bread or muffins lightly, then spread with a little butter and/or rub with a little fresh garlicChop the onion add to the butter in a small to medium frying pan. On a low to medium heat, saute the onions until they are translucent. Take your time with this as you don't want them to catch and get the bitterness of fried onions. Lurpak slightly salted for us - I don't add any other salt to this recipe so if you are using unsalted butter, then feel free to add a pinch of sea salt. Delia’s recipe is particularly easy as, unlike most Welsh rarebits, you don’t heat the cheese mixture before adding it to the bread, which makes washing up afterwards easier. Instead, you grate the cheddar and onion, chop the sage, and mix it all together with a large egg, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce and four tablespoons of brown ale. Once the mushrooms are thoroughly cooked through squeeze over the juice of a quarter to half a lemon, stir through then add everything on top of the toast, drizzle over some olive oil and a sprinkle of dried parsley and eat immediately. Cheese on toast for posh people is just enough effort not to be seen as an act of extreme hostility, while being easy enough that when you say “It was no trouble, really”, you will get to the end of the sentence without breaking into a series of swearwords.

Gorgeously gooey scrambled eggs are one of the greatest ways one can top buttered toast, and we asked the Italian pro, Francesco Mazzei, to show us how. He puts an extra special spin on this classic breakfast dish with the addition of asparagus, grana Padano, sun-blush tomatoes and olives. Food writer Tonia George went one further with her 2009 book Things on Toast, which contains some of the most drool-inducing photos of butter melting into bread you'll ever see. "I'm a complete toast junkie," she says. "I wasn't trying to tap into a trend. I didn't know other people liked toast as much as I did until the book started selling well and got reprinted."Food trends tend to fall into two camps. There are the headline-grabbers that major on novelty ( here's looking at you, Cronut), or there is the movement towards elevating simple foods to gourmet status – and charging a small fortune for them on the way. Into the latter category fall gussied-up macaroni cheese and, of course, posh burgers. And now toast, that most basic of foodstuffs, just heated up. Add the chopped mushrooms to the pan. You want the sauteed mushrooms to start releasing a bit of moisture so if you think they are starting to catch then reduce the heat down. Meanwhile put your bread in the toaster to toast lightly. I prefer to cook the mushrooms long and slow so they start to release their juices. If you are in more of a hurry, then you can add a splash of water, being careful not to add too much water to make the dish sloppy. This is the sort of grown-up lunch that you’re totally allowed to feel smug about (but really only takes 20 minutes to throw together). Opt for bold, creamy and comforting flavours with this main-meal toast recipe. It’s made with cheese and double cream (we see all you dairy fans out there) for a properly filling and comfort-filled dish. Never used ‘nduja before? It’s a spicy spreadable Italian sausage that’s widely available in big supermarkets. Can’t get your hands on the stuff? Try frying a little crumbled chorizo sausage and chilli for a similar spicy effect.

Heat a small pan and add the oil, chorizo and onion. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes so the oils and paprika are released.Thyme is a really strong herb so take care not to be too liberal throwing it in. If you have fresh herbs instead of dried available, then 2-3 sprigs of thyme will be plenty.