Dutch Crunch Bread [Daring Bakers]



Before reading this month’s challenge, I was unaware that Dutch Crunch bread, a staple at sandwich joints in San Francisco and the area, is pretty much unknown elsewhere here in the US. It really does have Dutch origins—it’s called tijgerbrood, or tiger-bread, in the Netherlands—but elsewhere in the States it’s not a common option. I guess I never paid attention to my bread choices when getting sandwiches outside the Bay Area.

I was also unaware that the crunch was mostly the result of a rice flour slurry applied to the bread, not some sort of heavy egg wash.

Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses! Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!

We were required to make Dutch crunch bread, in the form of rolls or a loaf, and then make a sandwich out of it. I went the roll route. I modified the recipe provided by Sara & Erica, swapping out the milk for water (didn’t have any milk on hand, and have made bread without milk countless times). I also didn’t have any rice flour, so I pulverized some arborio rice I had on hand in my coffee grinder, and sifted it as they suggested.

The result? Phenomenal! My rolls flattened, as usual, in the oven, but the insides were still very much moist after baking, and the crunch was so awesome. It provided a great balance to the soft ingredients that I put in our sandwich:

  • aioli with garlic, thyme and smoked paprika
  • fresh mozzarella with fresh oregano leaves
  • brown tomatoes (these Trader Joe’s “kumato” tomatoes with a dark reddish-brown color)
  • avocado

Pics after the jump.

Here are the 2 rolls with rice flour slurry on top, awaiting the oven.

Absolutely gorgeous right out of the oven. Love the golden-brown crackled top. Surprisingly, the texture upon biting in was remarkably similar to the way it looks.

Here’s the completed sandwich with mozzarella, avocado, and tomato. A delectable Sunday brunch sandwich!

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7 Comments »

  1. Excellent job! Your Dutch Crunch looks fantastic, as does your sandwich!! 🙂

    Comment by Jenni — March 27, 2012 @ 6:19 am

  2. Sammy is mouth watering! Great job on the challenge.

    Comment by Susie Bee on Maui — March 27, 2012 @ 10:50 am

  3. Wow! your results are fantastic – such a great coloring and crack on the buns! Thanks for joining us this month!

    Comment by Sara C. — March 28, 2012 @ 2:06 pm

  4. Your rolls turned out so well – and the sandwich filling sounds divine.

    Comment by Carol Anne @ Rock Salt — March 28, 2012 @ 2:45 pm

  5. your rolls look wonderful and other than avacado, the sandwich does also!! love guacamole, but avacado just does me in. just made your nutmeg cake for the new challenge–it’s fantastic. was making it late tonight and hubby woke up to the wonderful smells wafting through the house. he ended up having two pieces. it is delicious. wanting to try your other offering, too. both videos were excellent, and makes creating them less daunting than it might otherwise be. thanks so much and have a great day

    Comment by eileen — April 11, 2012 @ 12:47 am

  6. Thanks so much for such an interesting and tasty challenge. BOTH recipes were outstanding! I made the nutmeg cake again today omitting the nutmeg, doubling the vanilla and adding some rum. Fantastic!!!

    Comment by sandie — April 27, 2012 @ 6:10 pm

  7. Wonderfull suggestion, it looks delicious. Not a hugh fan of avocado however. Nevertheless thanx for this delicious article.

    Comment by Luuk — January 21, 2013 @ 1:51 am

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