There’s the simple sandwich, then there’s tartine, a crispy bread topped with a wide variety of delicious, interchangeable ingredients.

At its core, a tartine is just an open-faced sandwich. It’s a single slice of bread with toppings of imaginative subtleties that distinguish it from ordinary fare.

Bread serves as the base upon which a tartine stands. The bread must hold up well under the weight of elaborate tartine construction and eating.

A morning tartine often uses a slightly softer bread, which is more absorbent and complements the morning practice of dipping tartine in hot chocolate, tea, or coffee.

When it comes to tartines, try familiar things and add your own touches, such as avocado toast and bruschetta, which are essentially tartines.