How to Pick the Best Bread

I consider myself a little bit of a breadie (person who appreciates great bread) and it started young. If there is anything my dad has taught me, there is a different bread for every dish and every mood.

I consider myself a little bit of a breadie (person who appreciates great bread) and it started young – my dad and I have always been on a quest for great bread.  When I was a little girl, every Saturday morning we would wake up, drive to any Italian market or bakery we heard about and pick up a pound of fresh imported meats, a hunk of cheese, and a loaf of hot Italian bread. To this day, I can remember the order in which the bread appeared on the shelves of our favorite bakery: baguettes, Italian, farmers, whole wheat, rye, salted rye, some days sourdough, challah or even brioche. Focacia was found on the counter, sweets in the cases. I knew I was different when I went to high school and my best friend didn’t know there was anything but sliced white bread.

If there is anything my dad has taught me, there is a different bread for every dish and every mood.

Italian: A good Italian bread should have a good crust and an amazing soft center. I like to use fresh Italian breads for open-faced sandwiches or simply with a pat of butter.

Baguettes: Baguettes are great for sandwiches and to be made into toast. It too should have a great crust and a soft center. I find that, because of the great crust, it never gets soggy no matter what you put on your sandwich (this is key).

Dinner Rolls: When I am making a sandwich and I really want to showcase the meat, I love making the sandwich using dinner rolls. Dinner rolls tend to be softer and more flavorful than the usual hamburger bun. Usually they are made with butter or eggs which helps create a richer bread. This is why whenever Cooking with Caitlin serves a burger it is always on Servatii’s dinner knots (just like the ones in the picture) or Parker House rolls.

When you are cooking simple recipes, play with different breads. For example, when I make something simple like homemade croutons for a salad, I’ll use olive bread or a three cheese semolina versus the classic white bread.  When making bread pudding I’ll use a homemade cinnamon-raisin bread, baguettes, or brioche.  The aforementioned Parker House rolls from Servatii’s are perfect for an overnight French toast casserole—then it’s all preportioned, and no rolls are leftover.  Focaccia makes an amazing sandwich cut horizontally and stuffed with meats, cheese, and grilled veggies—like this recipe right here.

The bottom line is, try it all.  Decide for yourself which bread is the best match for each recipe, and create your own memories around them all.