The story of this sandwich is as much a tale of the bread as it is the sandwich. Although we are somewhat ‘accomplished novices’ in making sourdough breads, this was our  first attempt at making a baguette. This deceptively simple bread was anything but. Several things went wrong: after the final rise the baguettes looked amazing, big and puffy and we were congratulating ourselves on being such good students of Peter Reinhart.   However, we had not done the final proofing on the baking sheet and, in transferring them, ended up loosing about 30 percent of their size.  As a result, they are very solid inside, and not soft and airy like real baguettes. We also managed to somehow get the crust too crunchy.  It should be mentioned that our oven is terribly old and very unreliable, which turns all our baking into exercises in patience and surprises. The taste was decent however, and although not the stuff of  Boulangerie Pierre & Patisserie legend, the baguettes performed creditably in a number of sandwiches, such as this one with  salami and cheese.

Salami and Cheese Sandwich Recipe

• 1 baguette or roll
• 2 tsp tarragon mustard
• 1 slice of onion rings (about 1 1/2 tbs)
• About 3 slices of cheese, enough to cover the entire surface of the bread. We used a strong Danish cheese, but use your own favorite.
• 4-5 slices of strong salami
• 2 tsp black bean chili sauce
• 3 tsp olive tapenade

Cut the bread in half, and on the bottom spread the mustard. Lay the onion rings on top, cover with cheese and add the salami on top of that.

On the other half; spread the black bean chili sauce and the olive tapenade on top.

With the sandwich still open, toast it in a toaster over until the bread is golden brown, then remove and close, and eat while hot.

If you like it spicy, simply add extra black bean chili sauce but be careful the first time, it’s very hot!