Keep This In Mind When Making A Grilled Cheese Sandwich On Fancy Bread

There's nothing complicated about making a grilled cheese sandwich, but they aren't without their subtleties. You've got to have the perfect cheese-to-bread ratio for starters, and the optimal way to achieve the ooey-gooey center that serves as the main attraction is done by using the best cheeses for a perfectly melty sandwich. What type of bread you choose to go with is also significant. When we spoke with culinary content creator Danny Huynh, he warned that using something too fancy can introduce a complication.

Some folks claim that sourdough is the best bread for grilled cheese, and while it certainly provides a tangy note, it also has one drawback. "Airier textures create larger holes, which are not optimal to trap the cheese in between the slices of bread," Huynh explained. "The sandwich can also tear since the bread is less dense." A denser crumb will keep the dairy where you want it: in between the slices of bread. Varieties with an airier crumb, like sourdough, won't always be as effective at preventing that creamy goodness from seeping out.

While Huynh acknowledged that certain luxurious breads don't contain the cheese as well as plain slices of white bread, when asked if he might use them anyway, he said, "I still would! I love the texture and taste of sourdough or ciabatta, so the extra attention it takes to make it work is well worth it to me." The heart wants what the heart wants. And for those who crave sourdough or any other type of airy bread as the foundation of their grilled cheese, Huynh noted there is a way to prevent the main ingredient from leaking through.

If you're not keen on the idea of your precious pepper jack melting through deluxe breads but still want to use them for an elevated grilled cheese, Danny Huynh shared a tip worth remembering. "I'd slice the bread a bit thicker and only press gently on the sandwich when toasting it to not put too much pressure on the bread," he said. Sure, it requires paying a little closer attention to the straightforward steps involved in making a grilled cheese, and the delicate toasting might take a bit longer than using a denser bread. But if it's ciabatta or bust for your sandwich, and cheese melting through the slices just won't do, the result is worth the extra effort.

Of course, instead of combating what the cheese wants to do, you could embrace it, as Huynh does. "Honestly, I think the caramelized cheesy bits are the best," he said. "Especially when they melt through the cracks." I'm with Huynh on this one. What some folks see as a problem in cheese melting through the sandwich, I see as a gift. It adds a dash of character and texture to a humble dish, creating an additional element to get excited about in a simple grilled cheese.