Jambon et Fromage is Susan’s and my favorite breakfast when we’re in Paris. In the morning, either Susan or I would venture out to the local boulangerie for the Jambon et Fromage which literally means ham and cheese. They are always made with a slathering of butter on a freshly baked baguette and topped with tasty ham and Swiss cheese.
With COVID-19, any thoughts of Paris have been pushed to the background. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy an amazing Jambon et Fromage back home!
Making the Baguettes
The first order of the day was making the crusty baguettes. I’ve been making these baguettes with the bread machine doing most of the work for years. They never cease to amaze in terms of simplicity and taste.
These awesome baguettes use only five ingredients.
I added the water, salt, sugar, flour and yeast to the pan of my bread machine and selected the dough cycle. Once the dough cycle had finished, I transferred the dough to a floured piece of parchment paper.
I knew that I wanted to make four baguettes for the Jambon et Fromage, so I weighed the dough – 25.12 ounces. I divided by 4 and portioned the dough into four pieces that weighted 6.26 ounces each (Photo 1). Yes, I”m a foodie nerd. I weigh everything!
I took one of the pieces of dough and flattened into an rectangle that was approximately 8-inches (Photo 2). Then I brought together the long sides and pinched them together. (Photo 3). Finally, I rolled the dough log until it was approximately 12 inches long (Photo 4).
I placed the baguette dough into my baguette baking tray. I repeated this with the remaining dough. My baguette pan only had three slots, so I used another pan for the fourth piece of dough.
I’ve never had much luck at slashing the dough right before it goes into the oven. Rather I consistently slash the dough once it is formed and in the pan. This works at least for me!
Whenever I make bread, I always use Julia Child’s advice and turn on my electric oven for exactly 1 minute and 45 seconds. After that time, the heat in the oven produces the perfect environment for allowing the dough to rise.
After about an hour and 15 minutes. the dough had risen beautifully and was ready for the oven.
I baked the baguettes in a preheated 400°F oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, they were perfectly cooked.
I let the baguettes cool completely on a wire rack.
Making the Jambon et Fromage
Once the baguettes were cooled, it was time to make the amazing Jambon et Fromage. Such simple ingredients – freshly baked baguettes, butter, sliced ham and Swiss cheese!
To start, I sliced a baguette length-wise, making sure that I didn’t cut it all the way through and spread each side with room temperature butter (Photo 5). Then, I placed ham on one side of the baguette (Photo 6). I topped the ham with Swiss cheese (Photo 7). That was it – a Jambon et Fromage (Photo 8)
I repeated this with the remaining baguettes, butter, ham and Swiss cheese to produce four absolutely delicious Jambon et Fromage sandwiches.
I’d like to say that we were partaking these amazing sandwiches while in Paris. However, things as they are mean that we have to settle for the “real thing” back home. They do, however conjure up fond memories of being in Paris. Yum!
If you’d like to try some more tasty sandwiches served everywhere in Paris, try my Perfect Croque Monsieur or Croque Madame. Or if you’re in the mood for some sweet treats how about my French Macarons or Lemon Madeleines.
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Jambon et Fromage
Ingredients
Baguettes
- 1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons (9.5 ounces) filtered water
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- 3 cups (15-ounces) Bread flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast
Jambon et Fromage
- 4 baguettes, roughly 6.26 ounces each
- 8 ounces sliced ham
- 6 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
- 2 ounces (½ stick) salted butter, room temperature
Instructions
Baguettes
- Add ingredients to bread machine pan in the order listed. Select dough cycle, and press start.
- When the Dough cycle has completed, place dough on floured surface. Pat down, and cut dough into 4 pieces, roughly 6.26 ounces each. With each piece, pat dough onto a rectangle, approximately 8 inches by 3 inches. Bring long inches together; pinch to seal. Roll the long side, forming a cylinder; continue to shape into loaf with tapered ends. Place on baguette pan. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Allow to rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. (See Tips 1 and 2)
- Preheat oven to 400° F. When oven has reached temperature, place in oven; bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Yield: 4 individual baguettes.
Jambon et Fromage
- Slice baguette on long side, ensuring that it is not cut all the way through. Spread each half with softened butter. Line one half with ham and pieces of Swiss cheese.
- If not to be eaten immediately, double wrap each Jambon et Fromage in plastic wrap, place in a 2 gallon Ziploc bag, and store in refrigerator. Best if eaten within one week. After that, the bread tends to dry out and become hard. Yield: 4 Sandwich Jambon et Fromage.
Chula's Expert Tips
- I've never had much luck slashing the dough right before placing it into the oven. Over time, I've settled for slashing the dough after it's been formed. This works consistently well for me!
- I always use Julia Child's approach for producing the perfect environment for the dough to rise. I turn on my electric oven for exactly 1 minute and 45 seconds. I don't worry about setting a temperature. All I'm doing is warming my oven to the perfect temperature for the dough to rise.
Wow! I continue to marvel at your delicious recipes. The baguettes look amazing!
They are! I’ve been told that I shouldn’t bother trying any other baguette recipe.
I gave you 5 stars just from reading your recipe and method for making the baguettes. It brings back memories from 1960 in Nice and Villefranche sur mer. USN
I absolutely am going to attempt your recipe before I die. Thank you!
Hope you like the result Jim. When my daughter and I are in Paris (been awhile with the pandemic), the Jambon et Fromage is one of our favorites!
Chula