My father was a playful man, so when he first described his bread sandwich—a piece of thin bread, buttered and toasted, sandwiched between two buttered slices of untoasted bread—I thought he was joking. In fact, it was one of his favorite dishes. Beyond its deliciousness, my father wanted to illustrate the idea that bread is a fully self-sufficient food, in no need of a separate filling.

Originally he made his with three slices of our Poilâne-Style Sourdough. I prefer our Rye Bread, either plain or currant-studded as the center slice. Either way, the contrast between the soft and crispy bread and the salted and unsalted butter is memorable. Make sure to use the best butter you can find—it makes all the difference.