What makes bread soggy

Pat with a paper towel after a using a salad spinner to make sure all excess water is removed. Wet fillings such as egg or chicken salad are always best added at the last minute, otherwise, consider a protective layer such as lettuce between the salad and bread.

If adding condiments such as mayonnaise or pickles, consider adding them just before eating or spread them between slices of meat and cheese away from the bread. If you have cooked sandwich fillings such as chicken, egg, bacon or roasted veg, let them completely cool before adding to your sandwich unless you intend to have a hot sandwich such as a hot roast chicken roll.

Then fill your bread with steaming hot chicken and wrap in foil to keep it hot. We give you all the tips for keeping picnic food warm here. I would also suggest the inner toast method here. Adding warm ingredients to a sandwich will create condensation and in turn, soggy bread.

Always use cold or room temperature ingredients. Looking for Chicken Sandwich Inspiration? This is a tricky one as there are three schools of thought regarding condiments and soggy sandwiches. I think this last theory is an extension of the butter and olive oil method. It is true, a layer of butter or even a thin brush of olive oil on the inside of the bread will create a moisture barrier and repel liquids from entering the bread. If you were to adopt this last method, I would advise doing so experimentally and with caution.

While a thin layer of seeded mustard, pesto or even a thick slather of hummus may not cause sogginess, cranberry, pickles, relish or bbq sauce may result in a soggy mess. Last but not least, make sure your sandwiches are packed well. Use ziplock bags and airtight containers if packing on ice to avoid wetness or condensation creeping in. Use natural sandwich wraps such as reusable beeswax wrappers or paper to avoid sandwich sweat which can happen with cling wrap. Keep sandwiches cold but not stored against ice bricks or ice packs.

Disclaimer: Our articles may contain affiliate links. See end of article for more details. It's filling, but not heavy; it has carbs, protein, veggies, and sauces; and it's easily customizable. Add that all up and you've got the absolutely perfect lunch. Yet like most great things in life, there's a "but" that follows the praise. While in flavor, health, and practicality a sandwich is the ideal to-go lunch, sandwiches suffer from almost always getting soggy between when you make them before work or school, and when you finally get to eating them.

Sandwiches are far too delicious to eat soggy. So the simple solution is Here's how. I'm not a big fan of having sandwiches on toasted bread, but if you lightly toast it , it won't develop the toasted flavor, but it will keep the sogginess away. A quick toast or a long one, if you are a toasted bread fan gives the bread a protective crust that helps keep the moisture from permeating the interior of the bread.

And if you want to assure that chewy and fluffy bread texture, despite toasting, just use a thick bread. A little olive oil on each slice of bread makes a world of difference. Don't add much, or your sandwich will get greasy, but a light coating will repel any liquids that try to enter the bread. When making a sandwich it's customary to apply your mayos, mustards, and aiolis directly to the bread.

Things like focaccia have a runny dough to give the bread air bubbles. I make the dough, pour it into a well-oiled bowl, let it prove, then tip it out onto a well-floured surface you could use flour or semolina , then, sprinkle some more flour on top so the dough is practically covered before quickly preparing it for the tray.

For a normal loaf, the more you knead it the less sticky it becomes. If it seems to be taking a long time just give it another sprinkle of flour. A good way to tell whether your dough has proved sufficiently is by denting it with your finger. It should spring back to its shape gradually. If you do that for a couple of minutes you get a really nice, tight ball of dough. Too much flour and not enough water can cause crumbly bread — people often do this if the dough is too sticky and they add more flour rather than kneading through it.

Other culprits can be overproving or not kneading enough — the things you need to do to get a good structure. Some people put a tray filled with water in the bottom of the oven. You can do that at home but domestic ovens are rarely airtight enough to hold that steam in place.

If you want a really great crust, try making your bread in a casserole pot with the lid on. That creates an airtight environment. Take your biggest casserole pot, get it hot in the oven, then put your shaped dough in there. It can be quite tricky to get in there, so I shape my dough on a loose bottomed tart tin lined with paper then lower it into the pot using string.