Julia Child’s Perfect Sandwich Bread Is the Underrated Recipe Everyone Should Be Making (2024)

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Kitchn Love Letters

Carmen Keels

Carmen Keels

Carmen Keels is a music teacher in NYC by day, and baker by night. She has been developing as a baker since she made the decision 7 years go (while 8 months pregnant) to only bake the family bread instead of buy it. This lead her to set up a bread subscription service for her Harlem neighborhood that ran for two years. She has been an audition finalist for the Great American Baking Show, and has been featured in Kitchn's series The Way We Eat. Baking is her specialty, but she is always up for any culinary challenge. Lately Carmen has been baking for social justice by working to raise money for various Black Lives Matter organizations, local and national, by having physically distanced bake sales.

published Aug 14, 2021

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Julia Child’s Perfect Sandwich Bread Is the Underrated Recipe Everyone Should Be Making (1)

When your Tony Award-winning friend Nikki M. James asks you to cater her wedding shower because her original caterer bailed, you say yes — a thousand times yes. (Both because you say yes to your friends and because the shower theme was “high tea.”)

I never set out to be a caterer (and I still wouldn’t call myself one despite having done it), but this was in my wheelhouse — I knew I could lay a spread even the royal family would dig. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but I’ve spent a lot of time reading regency romances and Jane Austin. I was energized by Nikki’s faith in me and my skills as we worked together to create the menu.

I found Julia Child’s pullman loaf while researching the best type of bread for finger sandwiches. For this project, Nikki and I decided that the cucumber sandwiches would be made on the white bread, and that the open-faced salmon and crème fraîche sandwich spears (as well as the fig, black pepper, and ricotta rounds) would be made on brown bread. Sounds good, right? I modified Julia’s recipe to add wheat and rye for the brown bread, and baked them all in the same pullman pan for ease of slicing.

The shower was a Saturday afternoon affair, so I started prepping after work on Thursday. I made all the bread and wrapped it tightly until it was ready to slice for assembly. On Friday my oven broke —as in, it stopped working completely.Thank goodness the bread was done. The tartlets, cookies, and lemon drizzle cake had to be baked across Hamilton Heights in various neighbors’ ovens. I made 60 flourless chocolate walnut cookies in my Breville toaster oven. (It took some time, as I could only bake four at once, but the mini oven baked the cookies beautifully). Scones would be baked on-site, so those were chilling in the freezer.

The partygoers — some of Broadway’s elite — floated into the host’s apartment on a scone-scented cloud, and the cucumber sandwiches were gone at day’s end. My dear friend was happy, and I was so proud that I had pulled off my first catering gig. I’ve had a few more since, but these days I generally stick to social justice bake sales.

If You, Too, Make Julia Child’s Pullman Loaf, a Few Tips

I highly encourage you to try this bread out and put it in your rotation. It has great chew, but is also light and fluffy. It also has great structure —it can withstand a fat piece of turkey with lettuce and tomato, and yet is delicate enough to allow for cucumbers to shine in finger sandwiches. Here are a few tips before you start.

  1. Include a bit of starter. This bread is best when made with a starter (also known as a sponge, biga, or poulish), which is simply a small amount of bread flour, water, and yeast that is left to get bubbly over several hours on a cool counter or even overnight. It will seem like a sloppy mess, but it helps make the bread extra flavorful. But if you don’t want to take the time for the poulish, that’s OK — it will still taste wonderful without it.
  2. Skip the bread machine. If you have a bread machine, great! If not, you can use a stand mixer with the dough attachment, like I do. Allow the dough to rise in a lightly oiled bowl on the counter, and cover the bowl in oiled plastic wrap to keep the dough cozy and moist (or use a shower cap from the dollar store).
  3. Bake in whatever pan you’ve got. This dough is very versatile. You can bake a single recipe in a pullman pan, but I’ve also quadrupled the recipe and baked it in giant pullman pans with slide lids. If you don’t want a flat-topped rectangular loaf (or don’t have a pullman pan), it will dome beautifully in a regular loaf pan with a nice, golden exterior.

At Kitchn, our editors develop and debut brand-new recipes on the site every single week. But at home, we also have our own tried-and-true dishes that we make over and over again — because quite simply? We love them.Kitchn Love Lettersis a series that shares our favorite, over-and-over recipes.

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Julia Child’s Perfect Sandwich Bread Is the Underrated Recipe Everyone Should Be Making (2024)

FAQs

What is the best sandwich bread? ›

The Safe Bet: Traditional Breads for Sandwiches
  • White Bread. Classic white bread is milled and mild, with a soft texture and a thin crust. ...
  • Rye. ...
  • Ciabatta. ...
  • Italian. ...
  • French baguette. ...
  • Brioche. ...
  • Sourdough. ...
  • Challah.

Is it healthier to eat homemade bread? ›

That said, most homemade breads are likely healthier than store-bought breads, which are often high in sugar and preservatives. One benefit of making your own bread is that you can control the ingredients. For example, you can use whole wheat flour instead of white flour, or add healthy toppings like nuts and seeds.

How would you select bread for sandwich making? ›

Choose bread appropriate to the sandwich you're making. Pair moist fillings with soft, fluffy breads and you've got a recipe for a sponge, not a sandwich. As a general rule, the moister the filling the drier and denser the bread should be. A good, thick crust helps, too.

What is the most healthiest sandwich bread? ›

Some breads are more nutritious than others. To choose a beneficial bread, you can look for varieties made from 100% whole-grain and/or sprouted-grain flours. Make sure your bread is low in added sweeteners. A few good options include sourdough, rye, flax, and oat breads.

What is the healthiest sandwich bread to eat? ›

The Healthiest Types of Bread, According to a Dietitian
  • Sprouted-Grain Bread.
  • Whole-Wheat Bread.
  • Sourdough Bread.
  • Seeded Bread.
  • English Muffins.
  • Banana Bread.
Sep 28, 2023

Is it OK to eat healthy bread everyday? ›

In fact, bread can be included as part of a healthy, balanced diet every day – yes that is correct, every day! Of course there are bread products you should try to choose more often than others (think: whole grain bread!), but I think we often forget about all the great things bread has to offer.

What is the best anti inflammatory bread? ›

The best bread to reduce gut inflammation is bread made from whole grains. Refined grains, such as the grains found in white bread and white pasta, are known to increase inflammation across the whole body. Sourdough bread and rye bread are both good options for an anti-inflammatory diet.

Can I eat homemade bread everyday? ›

And will eating it every day affect your health negatively? Thankfully, bread can still be a go-to household staple, and can even help many people reach their nutrient goals. According to the Grain Foods Foundation, bread can be an excellent source of folate, fiber, iron, B vitamins and much more.

Which bread does Subway use? ›

There's 9-grain wheat, hearty Italian, honey oat, Italian white, Italian herb and cheese, Monterey cheddar, Parmesan-oregano, roasted garlic bread and flat bread.

What bread do New York Delis use? ›

“Rye” is always my answer because I love the chewy and aromatic New York deli rye, also known as Jewish rye, that is served. It has a lot of caraway flavor and not as much rye flour as you might think. My research revealed most recipes use rye flour at 1/4 to 1/3 the total flour weight.

Is it cheaper to make your own sandwich bread? ›

In a nutshell, if you're buying basic, cheap sandwich bread, it's probably cheaper than you can make it at home. But if you compare two loaves similar to what you could make at home — one made with high-quality ingredients as opposed to one made with lesser quality ingredients — home baking becomes much cheaper.

What is the difference between sandwich bread and regular bread? ›

For sandwiches, toast, and French toast, you just can't beat a classic American sandwich loaf, with its creamy-white interior, golden crust, and soft, easily sliceable texture. The only difference between a 'sandwich' loaf and an ordinary loaf is its shape. A sandwich loaf usually has a 'square' section.

What bread do delis use for sandwiches? ›

Rye bread is commonly used for classic deli-style sandwiches, such as pastrami or corned beef. Its robust flavor can also stand up to strong condiments such as mustard or sauerkraut.

What is the best tasting bread? ›

World's best breads: the list of winners
  • Butter garlic naan (India)
  • Nan-e barbari (Iran)
  • Pan de yuca (Colombia)
  • Focaccia di Recco col formaggio (Italy)
  • Baguette (France)
  • Naan (India)
  • Piadina Romagnola (Italy)
  • Tarte flambée (France)
Oct 4, 2023

Is French or Italian bread better for sandwiches? ›

French loaves are usually prepared using electric convection deck ovens. This helps create a softer and less chewy texture as compared to Italian bread loaves. It also makes them perfect for sandwiches. If you've never tried a baguette sandwich before, you're missing out!

Is Ezekiel bread the best bread? ›

Ezekiel bread is about as nutrient-dense as a bread gets. It's a type of sprouted bread, made from a variety of whole grains and legumes that have started germinating (sprouting). Compared to white bread, which is made of refined wheat flour, Ezekiel bread is much richer in nutrients and fiber.

What is the best bread to eat from Subway? ›

Generally, Subway's “Hearty Multigrain” is going to be the healthiest choice. Compared to the Artisan Italian, Italian Herbs and Cheese, Jalapeño and Cheddar, Flatbreads and Wraps, it's a lower calorie option and notably has a touch more fiber and protein.

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