The Birthday Sandwich
Hello, my lovelies. It’s Natasha — and I’m back with another banger!
There are sandwiches, and then there are sandwiches you build for someone you love.
The kind that feel a little unnecessary. Slightly excessive. The kind where halfway through assembling it, you realise that this is no longer lunch but an event.
This one started with a simple request. Archit wanted a sandwich for his birthday.
Archit isn’t the kind of man who expects grand gestures. Or traditions. Or that love should look a certain way. But when he asked for a sandwich, I felt like this was the moment to bring out the big guns (pew-pew!)
For us, love isn’t loud or performative. It’s quiet. Intentional. And enthusiastic.
And for his special day, my enthusiasm came stacked, toasted, and very well-dressed.
Building the Sandwich
The idea here is simple: take a good loaf of sourdough and turn it into the ultimate stuffed sandwich. I got mine from Suchali Bakehouse!
You start by slicing the loaf horizontally, about an inch from the top, almost like you're creating a lid. Then hollow out the inside to make space for the fillings. This step is important — you want room for all the layers without the bread splitting apart.
Once the loaf is ready, it becomes your canvas. Layer by layer, the sandwich starts to come together.
First, a generous swipe of hot mustard from The Cookhouse Collab. Sharp and punchy — the kind of flavour that wakes everything else up.
Then comes the meat, all from Prasuma, and loads of cheese that melts beautifully later, tying everything together.
After that, I added homemade pesto, which, funnily enough, I made Archit make. Lots of fresh basil, some good quality olive oil, garlic, pine nuts (or soaked almonds), lemon juice and SALT. Never forget the salt!
Then come the brighter flavours — gherkin slices, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives — little pockets of acidity that keep the whole thing from feeling too heavy. Followed by sweet caramelised onions, and finally a drizzle of Kewpie mayo to bring everything together.
At this point the loaf is properly loaded.
You close the bread lid, wrap the entire loaf tightly in foil, and pop it into the oven for about 10 minutes. Just enough time for the cheeses to melt and the fillings to warm through.
When it comes out, you slice it vertically into thick wedges. And what you get is a sandwich that’s equal parts melty, salty, tangy, and slightly ridiculous.
And what you get is a sandwich that’s equal parts melty, salty, tangy, and slightly ridiculous.
Ingredients
1 sourdough loaf
Hot mustard (I used the Cookhouse collab mustard)
Ham slices
Chicken salami
Sliced mozzarella
2 processed cheese slices
Homemade pesto
Gherkins, sliced
Sun-dried tomatoes
Olives
Caramelised onions
Kewpie mayonnaise
Method
Slice the sourdough loaf horizontally about 1 inch from the top to create a lid.
Hollow out some of the interior bread to make space for the fillings.
Spread hot mustard on the base of the loaf.
Layer the fillings: ham → mozzarella → chicken salami → pesto → cheese slices → gherkins → sun-dried tomatoes → olives → more ham → caramelised onions → Kewpie mayo.
Close the loaf with the top piece of bread.
Wrap the whole sandwich tightly in foil.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 10 minutes, until the cheese melts.
Slice vertically into thick wedges and serve.
