Equipment
Ingredients
Base and Dressing
- 200 g country bread, sliced thick
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil, room temperature
- 15 ml red wine vinegar, room temperature
- 1 garlic, halved
Fresh Filling
- 150 g heirloom tomato, sliced thin
- 100 g english cucumber, sliced thin
- 50 g radishes, sliced thin
- 30 g kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 10 g fresh basil, whole leaves
- 2 g sea salt, fine
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 421 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 57 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 890 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 513 mg
- Calcium
- 88 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 74 mg
- Phosphorus
- 202 mg
- Zinc
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 18 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 17 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 40 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.55 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.28 mg
- Niacin
- 4.1 mg
- Folate
- 109 mcg
- Water
- 124 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Thoroughly wash and dry all produce to prevent excess water from diluting the dressing. Slice the tomatoes, cucumber, and radishes into thin, even rounds.
Rub the cut sides of the country bread vigorously with the halved garlic clove to naturally infuse the crumb with aromatic oils.
Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar evenly over both halves of the prepared country bread, ensuring the liquids reach the edges.
Layer the sliced tomatoes directly onto the bottom half of the bread. Season them immediately with the sea salt and black pepper to help extract their natural juices.
Stack the sliced cucumber, radishes, halved olives, and whole basil leaves over the seasoned tomatoes. Place the top piece of bread over the vegetables.
Wrap the sandwich tightly in parchment paper. Place it on a cutting board, set a heavy skillet on top, and let it rest for 30 minutes to press the layers and marry the flavors.
Chef's Notes
- Salting the tomatoes directly on the bread is a critical technique. The extracted tomato water mixes with the oil and vinegar to form a highly flavorful liquid that soaks into the crumb without compromising its structure.
- Using day-old bread is ideal for this application. Staler crumb structures absorb heavy dressings and vegetable juices much better than fresh, yielding a tender but intact sandwich.
- When preparing this for a gathering or Super Bowl party, use a whole large boule instead of slices. Hollow out a small amount of the crumb, build the sandwich inside, press the entire loaf, and slice it into wedges like a pie for easy handheld serving.
- To customize the texture, you can lightly toast the inner side of the bread before rubbing with garlic, which provides an extra moisture barrier against the wet ingredients.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Wrap tightly in parchment and plastic wrap. Bread will eventually become too soggy if kept longer.
Troubleshooting
Bread falls apart or becomes unpleasantly mushy during pressing.
Cause: The bread used was too fresh or soft, or the tomatoes released an excessive amount of water.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once assembled. Serve with a fork if structurally compromised.
Prevention: Always use dense, day-old rustic bread. If tomatoes are overly watery, gently scoop out the seeds before slicing.
Sandwich lacks depth of flavor.
Cause: Under-seasoned tomatoes or insufficient acid from the vinegar.
Fix: Open the sandwich gently and add an extra pinch of salt and a splash of vinegar.
Prevention: Ensure you salt the tomatoes directly, as this creates a localized vinaigrette with the bread.
Cultural Context
Inspired by the classic Pan Bagnat from Nice, France, which translates literally to bathed bread. Originally created as a practical way for the working class to utilize stale bread by softening it with abundant local olive oil and fresh, inexpensive produce, it has evolved into a quintessential Mediterranean provision.
