The Simple Way To Give Subpar Sandwich Bread A Rich Boost

Sandwiches truly are one of the most versatile players in the culinary world. They work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They can be hot or cold, meaty or vegetarian, healthy or a gut buster. But no matter if you're making a simple PB&J or trying your hand at something a little more advanced, like a Cubano or a sturdy stack of roast beef, your sandwich is only going to be as good as its vessel. Bread is the unsung hero of the sandwich, and it can make or break your meal. After all, it is the foundation of your creation — without bread, there can be no sandwich.

If you've been struck with a brilliant sandwich idea and rummage through your pantry only to find half a loaf of bland, mass-produced bread, don't despair. There is a quick and easy trick you can implement to make your sandwich go from mediocre to pretty darn good. All you have to do is spread some butter on your bread slices and throw them on a hot griddle or skillet to make them toasty and full of rich, buttery flavor. Bonus tip: try making some compound butter to really take your sandwich up a notch.

Butter does the heavy lifting in this trick to not only make your bland bread have a slightly salty and decadent flavor, but it improves the texture as well. Grilling it with butter leads to perfectly golden and crispy slices that will bring textural contrast to your sandwich. Having that nice crunch in your bread will be especially delightful if you are using primarily soft ingredients as a filling, like sliced meat, cheese, or spreads. It will also make your bread a little more robust and help prevent a soggy sandwich after adding ingredients with a high water content, like tomatoes.

Now, for a little chemistry lesson: Buttering your bread and grilling it results in mouth-watering flavors due to a series of chemical reactions that happen when proteins and sugars are exposed to high heat, called the Maillard reaction. It's the same reason you want your steaks to have that browned, almost blackened, crusty exterior. Simply put, the Maillard reaction is what happens when you brown your food to achieve a more savory, almost nutty taste. A grilled cheese is a prime example of the Maillard reaction making sandwich magic. There is no denying that the golden brown crustiness of a grilled cheese is delightful, so imagine adding those deep, complex flavors to all your sandwiches. Taking a few extra minutes to butter your bread slices and get them nice and toasty is a small step that makes a significant difference.