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Sandwich Rolls
May be made of thinly sliced day old bread with crusts removed. Bread may be sliced across the loaf in ordinary manner or lengthwise of the loaf. Place on damp towel, spread with desired filling and roll carefully as for jelly roll. If bread is cut lengthwise, wrap roll in damp towel and put in refrigerator and chill. When ready to serve, cut in slices which will represent pinwheels. Two varieties of bread may be rolled together.
A method rather than a fixed recipe: soft bread, a spreadable filling, and chilling to set the shape. Two details decide whether the rolls hold together.
- The hinge: bread must be pliableDay-old bread slices without tearing but cracks when rolled unless it is thin and slightly damp. Roll slices no more than 1/4 inch thick, and press each one lightly with a rolling pin before spreading to compress the crumb and make it fold rather than break.
- Choose the right loafThis wants a fine, close-grained sandwich loaf, the kind sold as Pullman or pain de mie. An open, holey artisan crumb will split at the holes and let filling through.
- Lengthwise slicingCutting the loaf the long way gives one wide sheet for the pinwheel version. Some bakeries will do it on request; at home, a long serrated knife and a fully cooled loaf are essential.
- The damp towelDamp, not wet. Wring a clean tea towel out hard, or the bread absorbs water and turns to paste. It keeps the surface from drying while you spread, and the recipe uses it again to wrap the roll for chilling.
- Filling consistencyAnything loose will squeeze out under the roll. Butter or cream cheese as a base, beaten smooth, with chopped additions folded in; spread right to the edges so the finished spiral has no gaps.
- Chilling timeWrap the log in plastic film over the damp towel, or simply in film alone, and chill until it is firm right through. A firm, cold log slices cleanly; a warm one smears.
- Yield and servingThe number of pinwheels depends on the size of the sheet and which edge you roll from. Cut with a thin sharp knife, wiping between cuts, and serve within a few hours; refrigerate under film until then.