A beloved sandwich, a croque-monsieur is basically a grilled cheese as seen through a decadent French lens. A constant on my menu at Buvette, we serve plenty of these at lunch and also late at night when we put them back on the menu after eleven o’clock. They are great for a party since you can assemble a tray of croques ahead of time and simply pop them into the oven when guests arrive.
[MAKES 4 SANDWICHES]
1 recipe Béchamel Sauce (here)
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
8 slices bread
8 slices cooked ham, preferably prosciutto cotto
1 cup coarsely grated Gruyère cheese
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence (here)
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Stir the béchamel together with the mustard and, dividing the mixture evenly, spread it on one side of each slice of bread, being sure to spread the béchamel from corner to corner on each slice.
On 4 of the prepared slices of bread, place 2 slices of ham directly on top of the béchamel and then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the Gruyère on top of the ham. Place the remaining 4 béchamel-coated slices of bread on top of the Gruyère, béchamel side up. Place the 4 sandwiches onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each sandwich with a small pinch of herbes de Provence and 2 tablespoons of the remaining Gruyère. Place the sandwiches in the oven and bake until the cheese is totally melted and is starting to crisp, about 10 minutes.
For vegetarian friends, make Croque-Forestiers by simply exchanging the ham for a handful of mushrooms that have been roasted with olive oil, salt, sage, and rosemary.
To gild the lily, make Croque-Madames by placing a fried egg on top of each sandwich (works on any version of the sandwich). It should rest like a good hat, leaning just so.
Schiacciata is similar to the ubiquitous focaccia and depending how the dough is handled, it can be stretched into a thin pizza crust or into thicker focaccia. It’s best to let the dough rise slowly, ideally overnight in the refrigerator. That way the yeast, which is essentially marinating in the dough, can develop as much flavor as possible, and create that desirable airy effect.
[MAKES ENOUGH DOUGH FOR ONE HALF SHEET PAN OR TWO 12-INCH INDIVIDUAL PIZZAS]
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1½ cups room-temperature water, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or by hand; see Recipe Note here), combine 1½ cups of the flour with the yeast and 1 cup of the water and mix on low until just combined. Lift the dough hook out of the mixture and scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. This mixture is called a sponge and is the heart of your dough—it’s where the yeast activates and transforms everything from ingredients into dough.
Blanket the sponge with the remaining 1½ cups flour, sprinkle with the salt, and drizzle with the olive oil. Turn the machine to medium speed to combine all of the ingredients, and then slowly pour in the remaining ½ cup water. You are looking for a wet, sticky dough that holds together just so, depending on your conditions (i.e., the humidity, your flour, etc.); add a bit more water if necessary. Once the dough begins to take form, turn the mixer to high and let it go until the dough is smooth and elastic, makes a slapping noise against the mixer bowl, and has formed around the dough hook, leaving the sides of the bowl quite clean. It will take a full 5 minutes.
Coat a large mixing bowl with a thin layer of olive oil, and transfer the dough to the bowl. Rub the surface of the dough with a bit more olive oil, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it sit until it has doubled in size, either a few hours at room temperature, or at least 12 hours in the refrigerator. It can sit in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days, or up to a month in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature before using.