The Bread You Should Always Avoid When Making Grilled Cheese

You might think of grilled cheese sandwiches as a food even the most novice of chefs can make. How difficult can making a toasted cheese sandwich actually be? While the prospect of adding slices of American cheese to bread, adding butter, and cooking until crispy and melted seems easy enough for most, there is one factor that can make or break your next grilled cheese sandwich. Since this iconic snack only requires a few ingredients, choosing the right bread for the job makes all the difference. If you want guaranteed success each and every time, avoid bread rolls at all costs.

While you might think you already know how to make the best grilled cheese, the final product is often disappointing when bread rolls are at the forefront. Compared to sandwich bread, which generally has a soft exterior, bread rolls are covered in a sturdy crust. This firm outer layer of bread is not only difficult to toast, but the heat from your pan may have a harder time penetrating the interior of your sandwich and melting your cheese. The interior of bread rolls may also pose an uneven consistency, presenting larger air pockets than uniform slices of sandwich bread. Furthermore, since the best grilled cheese sandwiches are evenly toasted on all sides, the rounded shape of most bread rolls isn't ideal for crafting perfectly toasted sandwiches.

If you're used to making grilled cheese sandwiches, you already know crafting these savory snacks with even, uniform slices of bread is essential. A sliced bread roll has rounded edges, which means your resulting sandwich may be overcooked in some parts, and completely undercooked in others. These rounded edges may also create more space between the heat source and the interior of your sandwich, resulting in longer cooking times.

If bread rolls are your only option, attempt to even out their exterior surface by slicing off the rounded edges from both the top and bottom of each roll. This way, your rolls will have a flat exterior surface for even toasting. Additionally, more of the softer parts of your rolls can now be penetrated by butter and cheese.

While you can use your culinary creativity to make bread rolls work if you have to, your best option for creating perfectly cooked grilled cheese sandwiches is pre-sliced sandwich bread (for a sweet spin, you can even use this unexpected bread). Choosing a sturdy loaf with even slices and a uniform consistency is ideal for cooking. This way, cheese melts effortlessly and the exterior of your sandwiches toasts with ease on all sides. The next time you want to pair warm and toasty grilled cheese sandwiches with creamy tomato-basil soup, skip the rolls and stick to classic sandwich bread.