Score the tomatoes with a cross along their length using a very sharp knife. Place them in boiling water for no more than 1 minute, drain, then immediately plunge them into cold water. Peel off the skins and remove the green stem area.

Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and remove the central core if it’s tough and white, but leave the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into fairly large pieces.

Remove the crust from the bread and cut the soft inside into cubes about 1/2 to 3/4 inch (1–2 cm) wide.

In a wide, shallow pot, lightly sauté the garlic in olive oil and remove it before it browns. Add the tomato pieces, stir, add plenty of chopped basil, season with salt, and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring but without crushing the tomato pieces.

Add a little water to the tomatoes, bring back to a boil, and cook for no more than 5 minutes. At this point, the mixture should be fairly liquid and a bright red color.

Add the bread cubes and gently stir over medium heat just until the bread is fully soaked with the sauce but not falling apart. This will take 1 or 2 minutes at most.

Serve immediately, topping each plate with more fresh basil, a light grind of pepper, and a generous drizzle of high-quality olive oil.