Prevent Soggy Caprese Sandwiches With Carefully Placed Tomatoes

A soggy sandwich is the worst. When your mouth wants to sink its teeth into a soft or crunchy piece of bread, it doesn't excite the taste buds when they are met with mush. This is especially true when you are making the classic Italian favorite known as the caprese. This sandwich can be made fancy using pesto, avocado, or even transformed into a roasted caprese, but at its most basic, it consists of two slices of bread that are layered with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. 

However, like any sandwich that uses fruits and veggies with high water content, the tomatoes of a caprese can contribute to moisture-logged bread, and not in a good way. Here's the thing: It's 2023, and you don't have to put your tomato directly next to the bread the way your great-grandmother did. Instead, you need to be smart about how you layer the ingredients. Allow the mozzarella and basil to flank the tomatoes so these ingredients are creating a food fence that doesn't allow the water tomato juice to seep into the bread.

By using this trick, you can use any type of bread you want, and the key to making a caprese sandwich or any sandwich really does start with this beloved carb. Whether your bread of choice is a hearty baguette, ciabatta, sourdough, or even plain, soft white, or wheat, placing the tomato in the center surrounded by other ingredients makes it plausible. But you may want to consider toasting those softer breads, which can also serve as a barrier for those wet ingredients. It isn't going to stay crunchy, but it won't deconstruct and break apart when you pick it up.

You can use this caprese sandwich making technique for just about any bread, meat, cheese, and produce option you desire, and you will get the same result as long as you use a little strategy when layering them. Additionally, consider patting down your lettuce and meats with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture so it doesn't transfer to your bread.