Tea sandwiches

[Goodwitch9]

I've offered to make sandwiches for a special afternoon tea. I'm planning to use a mixture of brown and white bread and to cut the sandwiches into fingers with the crusts cut off. Just wondering which particular brand of bread people recommend for this?

I find most medium sliced bread is too thick for dainty sandwiches. Unexpectedly I found Morrisons savers (or whatever their cheaper range is called) is a bit thinner.

You want ordinary bread for this, such as thick Hovis or Warburtons - they’re uniform in shape and slice well (or the thick sliced does at least). Artisan / bakery bread tends to have a domed top so there would be a lot of waste.

Warburton does a large square loaf, medium to thin slices, which I found works well for dainty sandwiches.

You can also roll the bread (with a rolling pin) to make it thinner

You can buy "no crust" bread. Speaking as someone who once made hundreds of little crustless sandwiches it might be worth looking at to save your sanity.

I would cut them into 4 triangles rather than fingers. People prefer triangle sandwiches. Don't ask me how I know that :D

I know thinner bread would make for daintier sandwiches but my god it's awful to cut neatly. I've always used thick ready sliced bread (Hovis, Kingsmill or Warburtons) and picked the square shaped stuff (I mean with no rounded edges).

Hovis. Whatever you do not kingsmill, it’s appalling!

Buy (or make) top quality unsliced bread. Cut the end crust off first (and keep to eat for breakfast - it's the best bit). Then - and this is the important part- spread butter on the cut end of the loaf.
Use softened, not melted, butter to cover the cut end. Then cut a very thin slice. And repeat.

Some independent bakers have bread slicing machines - you can usually specify thin or thick cut.

A mix of brown/wholemeal granary and white is nice. There are traditional pairings. See, for example, Prince Charles's (as he was then) wedding tea. Scroll down to find it on this:

https://www.huffpost.com/archive/au/entry/royal-wedding_au_5cd3897ce4b0acea95028f29

Just personal preference, but egg and cress on very thin granary bread really is excellent. I'd add extra black pepper but some might not like this.

I don't think home made is right for afternoon tea. Get a really sharp knife and pressure cut thin fingers. Hovis medium is fine.

I like that 'Jackson's' brand for this

Was just going to recommend this. Jackson's white and wholemeal, crusts cut off to square a bit.

Go for triangle much nicer

Cut into squares to make a chequered board.

If you are making a lot of sandwiches, whip softened butter (check for dairy allergies) in a Kenwood and add a splash of milk. It spreads so much better.