Yum, yum, yum!!! This sandwich was delicious! The homemade bread was already incredible and then the fried, seasoned meat and the mozzarella with it was simply fantastic! I made the sandwich for a hike in the Swiss mountains (Lägern) with my mom. The best part about the sandwich was that it is a very nutritious meal. Perfect for a sports trip!

I found the recipe in a Swiss baking book called “Mein bestes Brot” written by Judith Erdin. I’ve had the book for about 6 months now and I am amazed. I already got several other people into buying it! (Also, I am not sponsored by them) The idea for the filling of the sandwiches is from me. I hope you’re having fun baking and on your trip!

Recipe for 4 people:

Ingredients:

Bread:

500g flour (Typ 720 in Switzerland) (bread flour 11-12,5% protein to high gluten flour / strong bread 12-14% protein in the US)
12g salt
10g fresh yeast
360g cold water
150g olives, without pit

Toppings:

2 chicken breasts
2 tbsp mustard
meat seasoning
Arugula, washed
2 mozzarella balls, sliced

Instructions: (you can bake the bread on the day before your trip)

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Crumble the yeast into it and add 340g of cold water. Knead the mixture for 7 minutes. (Yes! Really 7 Minutes - it makes a big difference)
Add the other 20g of water and knead again for another 8 minutes. (If you use a Kitchen Aid, use level 1)
Set the machine to level 2 and knead for another 5 minutes.
Cut the olives in quarters and add them to the dough. Mix the mixture for 1 minute. The olives don’t have to be spread perfectly even. (Picture 1)
Cover the dough and let it raise for 3 hours. Fold the dough after the first hour. (meaning you slide your hand down the side of the dough and fold it into the middle. I imagine there are 4 sides, so I do that 4 times) Let the dough rest for another hour. After a total of 2 hours fold the dough again. (Picture 2)
Preheat the oven to 240° C (460°F) and add a bread baking stone or a baking tray upside down to the oven. Put a good amount of flour onto your counter. Then split the dough int 4 equal parts. Fold the bread as shown below. (Picture 3 - 7) Lay them on a baking sheet and let them raise for another 20 minutes.
Put the bread with the baking sheet into the oven. Using a spray bottle, spray a lot of water into the oven. Immediately close the door and bake for 15 minutes.
Open the door for 2 seconds so the steam can get out. Reduce the temperature to 220°C (430°F) and bake the bread for another 15 minutes. Let it cool down on a rack.

Toppings:

Season the chicken with mustard and meat seasoning and fry in a skillet on medium heat. Let the meat cool down and then slice into strips. (Picture 8 - 9)
Cut the bread into halves lengthwise and cover with chicken and mozzarella. (Picture 10) Bake for 8 minutes at 180° C (360°F). Open the lid of the sandwich and add the arugula. Either eat the sandwich right away or let it cool down and then package it. By packaging when the bread is still warm, the crust will become soggy.

Gourmet Chicken and Mozzarella Sandwich on Homemade Olive Bread