What’s the best loaf to bake for sandwiches, and any filling ideas?
“Obviously I’m biased, but soft and squishy sourdough makes the best sandwiches,” says Martha de Lacey, sourdough teacher and writer. “The flavour is so much more complex and exciting than anything else you could use, and the crumb can have a slight moistness to it, which really contributes to the mouthwatering lushness that you want in a sandwich.”
That’s not to say sourdough doesn’t come without some provisos, mind. First, you want a loaf that’s been baked that same day (“Several hours earlier, ideally,” De Lacey says), with a tender crumb and a nice, thin, crisp crust that “isn’t too teeth-pullingly chewy”. As is often the case, success comes down to the quality of your ingredients: “Use really good flours, not just supermarket basics,” says De Lacey, who favours an 80:20 mix of strong white and granary, and “a pretty high hydration for the requisite soft crumb”. Then, try and try again. “Really practise your preferred sourdough tekkers until you can do it in your sleep. Honestly, the main trick to excellent sourdough is practice – boring but true!”
