Bread to bites: Crafting Cucumber sandwiches from a cottage loaf
When it comes to simple, refreshing summer meals, nothing beats a classic cucumber sandwich. Using our homemade cottage loaf bread (you can find the recipe here), these sandwiches offer a delightful contrast of the soft, airy bread and the fresh crunch of cucumber.
To start, when we're after that perfect sandwich-bread density, we take a suitable lump of dough that fits our bread pans. We let it rest and rise in the pan on the kitchen table for at least an hour, allowing it to become beautifully light and airy. While we usually brush our bread with a bit of oil for that tantalizing golden crust, for these sandwiches, we'll be trimming the crusts off, so feel free to skip this step for this classic crustless creation.
Once the bread is baked and cooled to room temperature, we slice it and get started on the filling. We spread a generous layer of cream cheese on both sides of the bread, then layer finely sliced cucumbers in between. The cream cheese not only adds a luscious creaminess to the sandwiches but also acts as a barrier preventing the cucumber juice from making the bread soggy.
And if you fancy a change from cream cheese, why not try a layer of homemade butter? We often make ours from soured cream, and it's an absolute game-changer. It adds a rich creaminess that melds perfectly with the cucumber's crispness, adding another dimension of flavor to this humble sandwich. And it doesn't stop there – feel free to get creative with your fillings. Fresh herbs, like parsley or chives, add a wonderful pop of color and a burst of freshness. There are so many ways to elevate these simple cucumber sandwiches, making them a real treat for any picnic.
These cucumber sandwiches make for a perfect picnic snack, their light and fresh taste perfectly complementing a sunny afternoon spent among the lavender hills and forest lakes. And to quench our thirst, we never forget to bring along a bottle of our homemade strawberry cordial (find the recipe here). There’s something about this pairing that makes every bite and sip feel like a celebration of summer.
