veganmofo - sandwich + schlotzky's benedict

Day 5 #vgnmf15 challenge is: The Best Sandwich. Ever.

Now THAT is a tall order! After all, there is a bunch of wonderful stuff in Tamasin Noyes' cookbook Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day, there's a bunch of awesome sandwiches in my book, Everyday Vegan Eats (Amazon, B&N), including a Banh Mi Burger, BBQ Bean Burger, Mushroom Po' Boys (just remembered how awesome those are!), Portobello Fajitas, California Club, GYROS! Forgot about those, too, until now! So many darned great sandwiches out there! ugh! How will I choose?

Naturally, the best way to choose is to pick one that is brand new!

Therefore, for my best sandwich ever, I present to you a Schlotzky's-style Benedict.

I recreated the bread from the restaurant, threw a Benedict tofu and Hollandaise sauce on it, added the requisite "Schlotzky's toppings:" lettuce, tomato, onion, black olives and vegan cheese.

The Schlotzky's bread is a white sourdough loaf, but I don't have the patience to make a good starter - which this would need - and I wanted to make this using whole wheat flour , instead of  with all-purpose flour.

I used apple cider vinegar to lend the "sourdough" flavor, and added vital wheat gluten (stuff you make seitan with) to help lift the dough. I learned that from one of my most awesome testers during testing for Vegan Bowls.

And now I offer you.....

The whole wheat bread you see is more difficult to make than one would think, especially if you want it to be light and airy. I was very happy with the result, which I have actually been working on for quite a while.

There you have it. The Best Sandwich. Ever. {at least for this day}

Whole Grain English Muffin-type Bread
Makes 4 individual loaves

1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon dry active yeast
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain soymilk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten (stir before measuring)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Oil spray

1. Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast and set aside for 5 minutes,
2. Combine the milk and the vinegar in a separate bowl and set aside for 5 minutes,
3. Combine the baking soda and water in a separate container and set aside until needed.
4. Combine the flour, gluten and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
5. Add the yeast mixture, the milk mixture and the baking soda mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour mixture and knead on medium for 5 minutes. Cover with a wrap and set the dough aside to rise for 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
6. Form the dough into 4 round loaves and set them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover and rise for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven. Add the risen loaves, reduce the heat to 375 and bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven, set on cooling racks and cool.


 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Schlotzky's-style Benedict
Makes 4 sandwiches

1 tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil
16 slices vegan cold cut slice, tempeh bacon or other vegan slices
10 ounces firm tofu, pressed, cut into 8 slices
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon black salt (kala namak)

Dijon Hollandaise:
½ cup vegan mayo
6 tablespoons plain, unsweetened vegan milk
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon turmeric
Few pinches cayenne
Sea salt 

4 Schlotzky’s whole wheat bread
Sliced vegan cheese (optional)
Slices of tomato
Shredded lettuce
Sliced black olives
Sliced red onion

1. Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the cold cuts until lightly golden, cook bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside. Add the tofu slices and cook until golden on both sides. Add the water, yeast, turmeric, and black salt to the skillet. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook the tofu for about 10 minutes. Drain the tofu before using. Season with more black salt.
2. Combine the mayo, milk, lemon juice, mustard, turmeric and cayenne in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix well and cook in 30-second increments until hot. Season with salt and set aside.
3. Cut the bread in half lengthwise and toast until crisp. Add optional cheese to the bottom bread slices mid-way through the toast. Layer, tomato, lettuce, olives, onions, cold cuts, tofu and sauce on each bottom halves. Top with the top buns. pass a toothpick through each side of the sandwiches and cut in half. Serve.

 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.