my best blt
the tomatoes say it's time to make this classic summer sandwich
it’s the time of year when blts are on the brain—well, my brain at least. and it makes sense, because amazing local tomatoes + sandwiches being the ideal summer food = a blt (or, in my case, many blts); it’s math.
there’s just about nothing better than a great blt. it’s a simple sandwich with five main components: bread, tomato, bacon, lettuce, mayonnaise. it seems straightforward enough; if i have said ingredients, blt i can make. however, not all bread, tomato, bacon, lettuce and mayonnaise are created equal, and exactly what you use and how you use it arguably makes a huge difference.
in my experience, there may be no such thing as an inedible blt (unless we’re talking about food safety issues), but there certainly is a spectrum from “not very good” to “absolutely the best.” in my opinion, there are two easy things that will help you unlock a blt that sits comfortably at the upper end of that spectrum:
using quality ingredients — we all know that quality means different things to different people. in this context i’m using it as a general adjective, meaning don’t use a mealy tomato or subpar bread or old lettuce or microwave bacon or mayo that you wouldn’t eat with a spoon (jk, that’s gross, but you get the point). your ingredients don’t have to be expensive, they don’t have to come from the farmer’s market or be homemade, but they should be fresh, they should be good and you should be proud to use them. if one of your ingredients doesn’t taste brilliant on its own, it’s unlikely that it will layer into this sandwich and become amazing.
seasoning every component — this is obviously a general rule of thumb for any kind of cooking, but i find it’s often neglected when it comes to sandwiches. if you have a blt using literally nothing other than tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, bread, and mayo, it won’t be bad, but seasoning the tomatoes and the lettuce properly makes a huge difference. in this recipe, i season the lettuce like i would for a hoagie (or sub or grinder or whatever you want to call it), and dress it lightly with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and dried oregano. it’s not necessary to do all of that, you could simply lightly douse it with a little oil and pinch of salt, but i love the added flavor and tang that comes from that particular combination of seasoning with the salty bacon and sweet, juicy tomatoes.
if you keep the above two things in mind, there’s almost nothing you can do to your blt that will make it anything but great. you can add things in (think sliced avocado, pickles, potato chips, fresh herbs, roasted garlic mayo, hot sauce or a sprinkle of sugar), take things away (lose the bacon and go full on tomato sammy, replace the mayo with pesto or grainy mustard), toast your bread or leave it un-toasted, swap iceberg lettuce for romaine, spinach, dandelion greens or arugula—the list goes on.
this recipe is simply what i’m calling “my best blt.” it’s made for me and it’s on freshly baked focaccia, with plenty of kewpie mayo, a thick “steak” of iceberg lettuce that’s been well-seasoned and just enough bacon. make it as is or just take this opportunity to make it your own, because if you make it for yourself + use what you like + follow my rules above = your best blt; it’s math.
makes 2 sandwiches
for the loaf pan focaccia, to be started one day in advance (substitute: your favorite bakery- or store-bought focaccia, sourdough, or white sandwich bread — skip down to step 8 if using a substitute)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey (substitute: 1 teaspoon granulated sugar)
90 grams lukewarm water
120 grams all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
for the blt
1 beefsteak or large heirloom tomato
salt and black pepper
6 slices bacon (if you’re in berlin, i highly recommend the streaky bacon from the sausage man)
3 tablespoons kewpie mayo
1 small head iceberg lettuce (you won’t use it all, but it kind of needs to be intact for this recipe)
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
add yeast, honey, and water to a bowl. mix to combine and let sit for 10 minutes. add flour and salt and mix into a sticky dough with no dry spots. cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes; at this point you could also place the covered bowl in the fridge and let it rest for up to 12 hours before continuing.
use damp hands to lift the far edge of the dough up, slapping the bottom of the dough into the bowl and then folding the top down onto itself (see video for a visual). turn the bowl 90 degrees to the left (or right) and repeat. repeat twice more so the bowl has done a full 360 degree turn; the dough should be looking smoother and feeling tighter. cover and rest for 15 minutes.
repeat the lifting, folding and turning for a whole 360 degree rotation of the bowl (that’s four lifts, folds, and turns) and then rest another 15 minutes. you can skip this second folding if you rested the dough in the fridge overnight.
add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a loaf pan, using your hand to rub the oil up the sides of the pan and around the bottom. transfer the dough to the pan, flipping so the dough is covered in some olive oil on both sides. use your already slightly oiled fingers to gently stretch and dimple the dough in the pan. if it doesn’t reach the edges yet, that’s okay. cover and let is rest for 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
once the dough has rested, preheat oven to 200°C/400°F and use your fingers to dimple the dough all over; it should now be filling out the pan. cover and let rise another 30 minutes or until the dough has grown in size by about a quarter or up to a half.
drizzle focaccia with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and top with a pinch of flaky salt. bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it with your finger.
remove the loaf pan from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes. run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the loaf, then remove. i find a spatula helps here if the bottom has stuck a bit. slice the “loaf” in half to create two squares of focaccia, then slice each square in half parallel to the cutting board to make them sandwich-ready.
slice the tomatoes, removing and discarding the core, and season on one side with flaky salt and pepper. add the bacon strips in a single layer to a cold frying or cast iron pan, then set over medium heat and let cook, rendering out the fat, until the bacon is crisp, about 15 minutes, turning one or twice while cooking. transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; save the bacon fat in a jar if you know what’s good.
open up the focaccia pieces and add a layer of mayo to one side (or both sides if you’re a mayo fiend). slice the iceberg into 1 inch thick pieces (you’ll need just one per sandwich), then transfer to a plate and drizzle with the red wine vinegar and olive oil. season with salt, pepper and dried oregano and add one lettuce “steak” to each sandwich. layer on the seasoned tomato slices and slightly cooled bacon, add your top hat of focaccia, then wrap snugly in parchment or wax paper (if desired) and slice in half to serve.