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Tartines, Three Ways

The French open-faced sandwich: half technique, half permission to keep lunch simple.

Prep 10 min Cook 0 min Serves 2–4

An avocado tartine on toasted country bread
Photo: Andy Li · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

A tartine is bread doing what bread does best: carrying one or two good things without fuss. There is no real recipe — there's a method. Good bread, cut lengthwise or in thick slices, something creamy, something sharp, something fresh. Here are the three we never get tired of, none of which require turning on an oven — which, on this island, counts as wisdom.

Ingredients

  • 1 fresh baguette or 4 thick slices of sourdough
  • Way 1: salted butter, radishes, flaky salt
  • Way 2: fresh goat cheese, honey, black pepper, thyme
  • Way 3: ripe avocado, lime, olive oil, chili flakes, salt

Method

  1. Split the baguette lengthwise, or cut thick slices of sourdough. Toast lightly only if the bread is past its first day.
  2. Butter & radish: spread cold salted butter thickly. Top with thin radish slices and flaky salt.
  3. Goat cheese & honey: spread the cheese, drizzle honey, finish with black pepper and thyme.
  4. Avocado & lime: mash the avocado with lime juice and salt, spread, then finish with olive oil and chili flakes.
  5. Cut into generous lengths and serve immediately.
Baker's note — The bread-to-topping ratio matters more than the topping. You should always taste the bread.

Questions, answered

What's the difference between a tartine and a sandwich?
A tartine is open-faced — one layer of bread, toppings on display. It's lighter than a closed sandwich and shows off the bread, which is why it's worth starting with a good baguette or sourdough.
Should the bread be toasted?
If the bread is fresh, no — a good crust needs nothing. Toast lightly when the bread is a day old, or when the topping is wet enough to need a sturdier base.
What else works as a topping?
Almost anything in pairs: something creamy plus something sharp or fresh. Ricotta and tomato, hummus and cucumber, smoked salmon and lemon, jam and butter for the breakfast version.

Skip the baking — we did it already.

Everything in this recipe starts with good bread and pastry — request a pickup 24 hours ahead at either maison.

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