The First Commandment of Sandwich

The First Commandment of Sandwich: Bread is King

- Michael Showalter



Check out his Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ywv65lWZkM



I ran into a couple the other day as I was leaving the shop from a good day of unloading equipment. One of them asked "Is this going to be a restaurant?" A bakery and sandwich shop, I answered. She said. "What kind of bread?" Really good sandwich breads, baguette, focaccia, kaiser rolls, bagels, ciabatta. "Cool! We can't wait!" When I tell people about Hi*Rise, the conversation rarely strays far from bread, and everyone has a favorite. "Will you have croissant?" (yes). Folks with an East Coast upbringing often ask if we're going to boil our bagels (yes). Donuts? (no) But a donut sandwich does have a certain appeal.


(Tangent: Mitch Hedberg does a bit about going into a deli to order a pastrami sandwich. The waiter asks him his favorite bread and cheese he likes. Hedberg answers but the waiter cuts him off. "I am not making you a banana bread-pastrami-cottage cheese sandwich. That would severely ruin my reputation.")


When the bread is right, the sandwich is easy. Nothing has to be dressed up. The flavors speak for themselves. If you wouldn't eat the bread by itself, you shouldn't make a sandwich with it. That's the approach we have at Hi*Rise. The bread comes first. Bread is the expression of the baker's control over ingredients, time, and temperature. Vary the combination to get crusty and chewy vs. tender and yielding. See the personality? Good bread has character and purpose. That is the basis for any sandwich's combo of ingredients, and will be the focus of everything Hi*Rise does.