Rettet das Butterbrot - Save the Bread and Butter!

If you've ever wondered if the German people have a sense of humor, think no more. On this website (in German), dedicated to Saving the "Butterbrot" or open-faced German sandwich, writers decry the demise of Germany's buttered bread and admit to making their own, using the famous "Graubrot" and German butter as the basis and eschewing baguettes, sandwiches and other foreign travesties.

While it's not a good idea to order a "sandwich" in Germany (they have no idea what an American sandwich is), you can't usually order a "Butterbrot" either. You have to make it yourself. Mornings and evenings it's a piece of bread, some butter and your favorite toppings. For work or school you place a second piece on top and wrap it in "Butterbrotpapier", a waxed paper product, and tuck it in your satchel.

The important parts of the "Butterbrot" are:

• The bread. It must be a dense, non-squishy type or you can't spread the butter properly.
• The butter. Sour cream butter from Germany, Denmark or Ireland is prefered.
• The toppings. Sausage, cheese, jam, radishes, pickles, Nutella, onions, and sometimes all of them at the same time.

Here are a couple of ideas for "Butterbrot" from butterbrot.de to get you started:

• One piece of bread, thickly spread with cream cheese, some mustard, a slice of Edamer cheese and a thinly sliced tomato.
  
• Pumpernickel with butter, cream cheese, Nutella and cherry preserves.
  
• Rhinelander Graubrot (rye/wheat sourdough) with liverwurst, tomato slices, salt and pepper (and butter, of course!).

If you would like to make "Butterbrot" but need good German bread, you can buy it online or go to German bread recipes. Here is a gallery of "Butterbrot", all consumed afterwards.

Photo of homemade "Graubrot".

Photo © J.McGavin