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Butterbrot
Pausenbrot: German rye bread with butter, cheese and crunchy vegetables for the school break and office
Every German schoolchild knows the Pausenbrot: two slices of rye or mixed-grain bread spread with good butter, closed around a slice of cheese, wrapped in paper and eaten in the mid-morning break, with a few cucumber or apple slices on the side. Adults take the same Butterbrot to work. The common mistake is spreading cold, hard butter, which tears the bread and leaves bare patches that let any wet filling soak in. Many Gouda-style cheeses use animal rennet, so choose one marked vegetarian. Chef's tip: butter right to the crust on both slices; the butter is a waterproof layer that keeps the bread fresh until lunchtime.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 4 slices rye or mixed-grain bread (Mischbrot)about 1 cm thick
- 1 oz salted buttersoftened
- 4 slices Gouda-style cheesevegetarian (no animal rennet)
- ¼ cucumberthinly sliced
- 4 radishessliced
- 1 tbsp chivessnipped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Leave 1 oz salted butter at room temperature for 20 minutes, or warm it for a few seconds, until it spreads easily.
Step 2: Spread 4 slices rye or mixed-grain bread (Mischbrot) thinly but completely with the butter, right to the edges.
Step 3: Lay 4 slices Gouda-style cheese on two slices, top with ¼ cucumber and 4 radishes, scatter over 1 tbsp chives and close with the other slices, buttered side in.
Step 4: Cut in half, wrap tightly in baking paper or a beeswax wrap and pack with an ice pack if it will sit somewhere warm for more than 2 hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does butterbrot take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of salted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
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