Cucumber and Dill Yogurt Sourdough Toast
Cool cucumber ribbons, dill and lemon top a thick yogurt spread on sourdough: a crisp, savory toast with no cooking beyond the bread.
Long cucumber ribbons give this toast a light, crisp topping. Pat them dry, fold them loosely and keep the yogurt underneath thick enough to support the stack.
Lemon and fresh dill season the base, with extra dill on top. The result is cool and crisp rather than sweet.
Cucumber and Dill Yogurt Sourdough Toast
- Makes
- 2 servings (1 topped toast each)
- Prep · estimate
- 12 min
- Cook · estimate
- 5 min
- Total · estimate
- 17 min
Ingredients
- 2 slices (120 g total) unseeded sourdough, about 1.5 cm / ⅝ inch thick; white or whole-grain
- 160 g plain thick Greek yogurt
- 120 g prepared ribbons cucumber (start with about ½ large cucumber), skin left on if tender
- 1 tbsp fresh dill leaves, divided
- 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
- ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small pinch fine salt, optional
Method
Make the ribbons
Use a vegetable peeler to shave the cucumber lengthwise into broad ribbons, rotating it when you reach the watery center. Weigh out 120 g usable ribbons and blot them gently with a clean towel.
Season the yogurt
Finely chop half the dill, then mix it into the yogurt with the lemon juice and optional salt. Keep it chilled while you toast the bread.
Toast the bread
Toast both faces of the sourdough until golden and crisp, usually 3–5 minutes. Rest on a rack for 1–2 minutes.
Fold and finish
Spread half the yogurt mixture over each toast. Loosely fold the cucumber ribbons on top rather than pressing them flat. Scatter over the remaining dill leaves, lemon zest and pepper, then serve.
Developed for home use; not kitchen-tested by Sourdough Bench. Times are estimates; use the doneness cues in the steps.
Small things that help
- Avoid the watery center
- Stop peeling when you reach soft seeds that will not hold together. Save the center for another meal instead of adding it to the topping.
- Salt the yogurt, not the ribbons
- Salt draws liquid from cucumber as it sits. Seasoning the base at the last moment helps keep the ribbons crisp for serving.
Make it your own
- Use thin slices
- If you do not have a peeler, cut the cucumber into very thin rounds and overlap them over the yogurt. Pat the rounds dry first.
- Try mint
- Replace the dill with 1 tbsp finely chopped mint for a different fresh-herb flavor. Keep the lemon quantity unchanged.
- Use strained yogurt
- A thick plain strained yogurt or labneh can replace the Greek yogurt gram for gram. If the labneh is salted, omit the optional salt.
Make ahead & storage
Prepare cucumber and yogurt separately and keep at 4°C/40°F or below. Refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C/90°F. For crisp ribbons, use them the day they are cut; assemble just before eating.
Dietary notes
A vegetable-led topping
Cucumber, herbs and yogurt provide a savory alternative to fruit toast. Contains wheat and milk; use the ingredient labels when selecting substitutes.
Before you start
Should I peel the cucumber?
Tender-skinned cucumber can be left unpeeled. For a thick or bitter skin, peel alternate strips or remove the skin before making ribbons.
Why does water collect under the topping?
The cucumber may be wet, the center too seedy or the yogurt too thin. Dry the ribbons, choose thick yogurt and wait until the bread stops steaming before assembling.
Can I add garlic?
For a stronger tzatziki-style flavor, stir up to ¼ small clove, finely grated, into the yogurt. Start with less and taste before adding more.
Sources & inspiration
- FoodSafety.gov: Four steps to food safety
Produce preparation and refrigeration guidance.
Recipe writing and serving illustrations are created for Sourdough Bench. Inspiration credits identify the source of an idea; they do not imply that another author tested this recipe. How we publish.
