What does open faced mean for bread?

Last Updated on July 3rd, 2023

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There are going to be two examples that will be similar to what an open-faced sandwich is. To start, we have the pizza, crisped-up flour on the bottom, and ingredients on top. Next will be the Tostada, which is a crispy corn tortilla topped with ingredients.

Open-faced bread will be sliced bread, meaning the inner portions of the loaf are exposed to the outside; the open-faced sandwich will be a slice of bread topped with desired cheeses, meats, and other ingredients.

This might be best consumed with a fork, similar to how you would eat a chili cheese-smothered hot dog.

What Does Open-Faced Mean?

Open-faced refers to a dish that has an exposed side that shows the inner portions of the entrée. This can be like when the bread’s insides are exposed to the outside through slicing, and most loaves will be covered in a crust that closes the inside off.

Once you take a bread knife to the loaf, opening the end piece with that first slice, you will have created an open face for the loaf.

This allows for making sandwiches and slices of toast, naming a few uses for open-faced bread. Just be sure not to use too soggy ingredients if you intend to pick up the sandwich to eat it.

What Does Open-Faced Bread Look Like?

When you think about a loaf of bread, there are normally two ends from which to start slicing from; once you pass that bread knife through the loafing end and that end piece slices free, you will have effectively made the loaf open-faced.

If you have ever been to a bakery or haven’t, you should go and watch(ed) the baker do their thing. You will notice that all forms of bread start out closed.

Take that pit of context, and apply it to the concept of open-faced bread by slicing the loaf, and it will be easy to see the difference between closed and open-faced bread.

What is Open-Faced Bread Used for?

The majority of open faded bread is used for sandwiches and toast, and sliced bread is a wonderfully useful food that can hold ingredients together, more often a combination of cheeses and meats.

Or, as mentioned earlier, try creating an open-faced sandwich with bread on the bottom. Otherwise, normally toasted up for a simple side as part of a breakfast meal or as a snack to go along with a good cup of tea or coffee.

As an old trick, used from farm steads or off-grid culture, a simple dry piece of bread can sometimes wipe a plate clean even better than a sponge.

Is an Open-Faced Sandwich Hot or Cold?

This type of sandwich is totally open, pun intended, to be a hot or cold food.

Consider making a light salad like a sandwich, using light greens with fresh, simple dressings and ingredients, or go hot and slice a hot dog in half, smoother in a rich chili, and top with cheese.

Open-faced sandwiches will have a free recipe type of reality, which means that you can add just about anything on top of that open-faced slice of bread, and it will be considered one of these types of sandwiches. It really does not get any simpler than that.

So, if you have time, consider experimenting with a slice of bread as a base for your next unplanned meal.

What is Another Name for an Open-Faced Sandwich?

Some have called these sorts of bread S*$% on a shingle or have nicknamed the sandwich, similarly referring to the ability to throw just about anything on top of it and eat it as a sandwich.

To start, you toast up the slice of bread; for breakfast, consider topping it with an egg, bacon, or sausage, sprinkle of cheese, and top with salt n pepper.

Or go with a biscuit and gravy approach. Then, to move on to lunch, consider topping with crisp bacon, a slice of tomato, and topped with a leaf of choice greens for a tasty twist on a BLT.

Final Thoughts on What Does Open-Faced Mean for Bread?

Keep the creativity flowing, use your imagination, and you might find a combination of ingredients that has never graced your taste buds before.

This is also a valuable means to feed yourself and party when backpacking or camping. Just pack out the packaging needed to bring in the ingredients for the meals.

Last thought to munch on, once you have mastered the slice of bread, use other ‘bottom shingles’ such as tostadas or possibly an open-faced slice of something not yet created. As the saying goes: “The best thing since sliced bread.”