I was taught to make authentic Italian Bruschetta by my friend Sergio Di Benedetto, in Agrigento, Sicily in 1993. He lives in a house adjacent the Temple of Concordia in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, central Sicilia. In his garden were Greek columns and statue ruins you might expect to see in a museum, but alas, they were items picked up on the valley floor!
This is the authentic way to make Bruschetta and it is so simple, variations need not be created!
Toast your bread. Good heavy sour dough is best.
Take a peeled clove of fresh garlic and rub it across the surface of the bread. The garlic will erode as if it were a piece of soap. Don't use too much garlic or the flavour will be quite strong, unless you're an avid garlic lover.
In a bowl dice ripe tomatoes, chop fresh basil and add fresh olive oil, marine salt and a light sprinkle of freshly ground pepper. Mix it all together.
Place the tomato and basil mix on your garlic infused bread and eat.
Excellent!