Today we make it all from scratch – bacon, bread, & sauces, & I show you how to make my perfect BLT sandwich. The first 100 people to go to http://www.blinkist.com/BrianLagerstrom get unlimited access for 1 week to try it out. You’ll also get 25% off if you want the full membership.

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RECIPE
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BACON:
β€’3.5lb/1.5kg/1500g slab pork belly
β€’35g salt/2.5% or 2tbsp
β€’15g sugar/1% or 1 1/4tbsp
β€’7g pink salt/.5% or 1tsp
β€’5g or 2tsp black pepper

Mix dry ingredients then rub over all sides of pork. Place in a bag or container and cure in fridge for 7 days. Rinse meat and dry well with towel. Place in fridge, uncovered for 12-24 hours. Smoke for 6 hours at 200-225F/92-94C in your favorite smoker. Weigh down bacon as it cools – I use another sheet tray + 10lb weight on top.

BLT SANDWICH BREAD:
β€’350g or 1.5c warm water
β€’3g or 1tsp instant yeast
β€’530g or 4 1/4c bread flour
β€’12g or 1tbsp sugar
β€’20g or 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
β€’125g or 2/3c ripe poolish or sourdough starter
β€’11g or 2tsp salt

Combine ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment and mix on low for 3min until combined. Increase to high and continue to mix for another 6min. See video @5:11 for instructions to mix by hand.

Flip into a bowl and allow to rise at room temp for 2 hours total. 30 minutes into that rise, give dough a strength-building fold dough as shown @5:44. Cover again and allow to continue to rise. 30 minutes later or 1 hour total into rising, repeat strength-building fold @6:09. Replace lid, and allow to continue to rise for final hour.

Prepare 1.5lb/10″x5.5″x3″ loaf pan by liberally oiling bottom and sides with olive oil.

Flip dough onto a floured work surface. De-gas with fingertips. Shape loaf as shown @8:04. Transfer to prepared loaf pan seam side down, cover, and allow to rise at room temp for 1 hour. Diagonally score 4-5 times and bake in preheated 425F/218C oven for 40-45min.

PESTO
Add to a food processor and process until desired consistency: 100g or 3/4c toasted & cooled pine nuts, 100g or 1+c grated parm, 30g or 1/2c shallot (minced/rinsed), 20g or 1c parsley, 100g or 5c basil, 30g or 2tbsp lemon juice, 5g or 3/4tsp salt, 225g or 1 3/4c chilled olive oil

HOMEMADE “MIRACLE WHIP”
Add 1 large egg, 5g or 3/4tsp salt, 25g or 1 3/4tbsp white distilled vinegar, 20g or 1 1/4tbsp water, 15g or 1 1/4tbsp sugar, to a high sided container and spin with immersion blender. Slowly stream in 325g or 1 1/3c neutral oil (light colored olive oil, canola, etc) while spinning.

TO MAKE SANDWICH:
Lightly toast slices of bread (I recommend bacon fat in a skillet), start with a liberal scoop of pesto on 1 slice and homemade mayo on the other, followed by slices of cooked bacon, 2-3 thin slices of ripe slicer tomatoes (I rec heirloom from the farmers market if you can find them) hit with salt and pepp, and add shredded green leaf and iceberg lettuce.

0:00 Intro
0:27 Curing & Smoking Bacon
4:02 Mixing Sandwich Bread
6:26 Blinkist Ad
7:32 Shaping and Baking Bread
9:37 Let’s Make This Thing

#BLT #perfectBLT #bacon

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20 Comments

  1. The smoking of the Poe belly got me hooked. Reminds me of making bacon & ham with my dad. Awesome Brian. Imma give that a go

  2. I have my dough in the loaf pan to do its final rise before realizing I have a 9×5, not a 10×5. I took it out, chopped some dough off, reshaped and put it back in. Hope I didn't screw this one up. Other than that, awesome channel. Brian has been my go-to for this journey in breadmaking.

  3. looks so good. don't have time to go search for heirloom tomatoes for this michelin star version but def good bacon is key too

  4. I think I'll make myself a sandwich. Let me check my schedule. Yes, if I start today, I can pencil this sandwich in for about a week and a half from now. Now for dessert,…

  5. Hey B-dog! πŸ™‚ Greetings from the UK – I love your cooking vids. One question… is it possible either after bulk fermentation OR (even better) after final rise in the pan to put the loaf in the fridge say overnight and bake it first thing in the morning? Thnx!!

  6. Hey Brian! Just getting back into bread making after a decade-long hiatus. I'm loving the bread recipe you shared in this video but I was wondering what I can do to make this a two loaf, simultaneous bake scenario? My family (I included) are big on sandwiches and can go through a loaf in a day or two at best. Any thoughts on doubling would be extremely welcome. Big fan of your channel, thank you for sharing your expertise!

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