Prosciutto & Arugula Baguette Sandwiches

Baguette sandwiches are my new favorite thing! There is something about a baguette that makes you feel like you are in a French café, sipping cappuccino, and enjoying local fare. They are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and make for a great sandwich.

Prosciutto & Arugula Baguette Sandwiches make the perfect meal. The prosciutto is salty, the cheese is sharp, and the arugula adds some fresh flavor. Pair it with some mustard or mayonnaise and jam, and you are set!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by making the sandwich spread. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and mustard. This gives the sandwich a spicy and tangy taste. You can use only mayonnaise or only mustard or neither, but I like the flavor of both combined.

Next, slice the baguette in half. Each half will make one sandwich. Or you can slice the baguette into 4 pieces if you want smaller sandwiches. Then, slice each piece lengthwise.

Slice the cheese into thin strips, if not already done so. I like to buy from the “fancy cheese” section because I think it has a richer flavor.

Spread the mayo/mustard mixture on one side of the baguette. Spread jam on the other side of the baguette. The jam is optional but highly recommended! Boysenberry, lingonberry, or even a fig compote would work well.

Divide the prosciutto in half (or fourths) and place on each sandwich. Top with sliced cheese and a handful of arugula. Place the other half of the baguette on top, and voila!

Slice in half and enjoy! To complete the meal, I like to serve fresh fruit or potato chips. It feels like a picnic!

The recipe can be found here.

These baguette sandwiches are not only easy to make but are super customizable. Use turkey or ham instead of prosciutto, use brie or gouda instead of cheddar, use spinach instead of arugula, use any condiment of choice, etc. Make each sandwich your own!

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is that I made homemade baguettes for the sandwiches. You can use store-bought baguettes, and I recommend this if you don’t like to bake or are short on time. The homemade baguettes aren’t difficult to make but do require some time to complete the process.

I like to follow this recipe from King Arthur: Baguette Pan Baguettes

The recipe is pretty straightforward, and I appreciate that the website tells you how to make homemade baguettes in a variety of ways, based on the tools you have at home. I like to follow the stand mixer instructions.

You start by making the “starter” which is also known as Poolish. Poolish is basically dough that ferments in advance…a preferment. It helps make versatile dough that is flavorful, light, and airy, and is commonly used when making baguettes.

The Poolish is placed in a non-oiled bowl and set in a cool, dark place to rise for 12-24 hours. In my experience, 24 hours is the perfect amount of time to let the Poolish rest. The top is slightly domed and looks aerated with bubbles. However, you’ll have to watch the Poolish and base the amount of time needed on your house temperature, humidity, etc.

Once the Poolish is ready, you can make the dough. You’ll add flour, yeast, water, and salt to the Poolish and mix until well combined. Then, you’ll knead the dough.

Once kneaded, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The dough will need to rest in a warm area (not a cool area, like with the Poolish) until it has doubled in size, which will take about 2 hours.

You’ll divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roughly form them into logs. These will sit on the counter, covered with a towel, to rise for another 20 minutes.

After the 20 minutes has passed, you can shape the dough into baguettes (long and skinny) and place them on your baguette pan. Cover the dough with a towel again and let the dough rest for another 30-40 minutes.

While the dough is resting, you can preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Right before baking, add slash marks on the top of each loaf with a knife and spritz each loaf with water.

Bake the dough for 20-25 minutes. Then remove the baguettes from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Or you can enjoy them while they are still slightly warm. Yum!