Bread makes a great addition to a charcuterie board and, like crackers, forms the base for stacking cheese, meat, spreads, and vegetables. The best bread for charcuterie boards depends on the other ingredients you intend to serve. Bread can either be the main event of a charcuterie board, or a supporting ingredient.
Below you can see some things to consider when choosing the best bread for a charcuterie board. Charcuterie board bread can either be purchased at your local grocery store, picked up at a nearby bakery or made at home. You can find links below to make some of these different types of bread and links to amazing charcuterie board designs you can try at home.
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What are the Best Breads for Charcuterie Boards
The best breads for charcuterie boards are either simple breads like French bread that can be sliced thinly and topped with your favorite charcuterie ingredients, or a hearty and flavorful bread that can be topped with simple spreads and served alongside other foods. Below is a list of some of the best charcuterie board bread:
- French Baguette
- Sourdough Loaf
- Ciabatta
- Bread with Nuts or Fruit
- Bread with Garlic or Olives
- Breadsticks
- Whole Grain Bread
Bonus: Check out this focaccia Charcuterie Board.
What to Consider When Selecting the Best Bread for Charcuterie Boards
When you are choosing the best type of bread for a charcuterie board there are a few question worth considering. Below you can see some of these considerations.
Is Bread the Main Event or a Side Event?
A wholesome and rich bread can be one of the main components of a charcuterie board – or not. If you want a bread that can stand on it’s own choose a bread that is rich in flavor and texture. Breads that can stand on their own include bread with nuts, olives, garlic or fruit baked into them. Serve these breads with simple cheese and spreads to keep the focus on the bread.
On the other end of the spectrum, you can find simple breads that are meant to be in the support role – French baguettes, sourdough and other plan breads can be thinly sliced and used to stack your favorite flavorful ingredients like cured meats, pickles, mustards, vegetables and more.
How Easy is it to Slice the Bread?
Bread size and texture is an important consideration. Corn bread may be delicious, but it doesn’t make a great addition to a charcuterie board. The bread is crumbly and difficult to stack and eat on the move. The best bread for charcuterie boards is small and can be thinly sliced. You will also want to think about how crunchy the bread is and how easy it is to eat.
How does the Bread Fit with the Rest of the Ingredients?
While charcuterie boards originated in France (click here to learn more about the history of the charcuterie board) there are so many charcuterie board designs that highlight foods from other countries. Matching your bread to the rest of the ingredients improves your overall charcuterie board. If you are serving tomato, mozzarella and basil, choose an Italian bread. If you are including German sausage and cheese, choose a heartier German bread.
How will you get the Bread?
The final consideration is where you will get the bread. You may want a Swedish Limpa bread for your charcuterie board, but don’t have time to make it and the nearest Swedish bakery is a far drive. Plan where you will get the bread in advance and whether you have the time (and desire) to bake the bread on your own.
Many of the simple breads on the list below are available at your local grocery store bakery. Check to see what you can find readily and plan to purchase the bread as close to making your charcuterie board as possible to make sure you have the freshest bread. Wait until the last moment to slice your bread to avoid the bread becoming stale.
Other Charcuterie Board Ingredients
- Best Crackers for Charcuterie Boards
- Best Nuts for Charcuterie Boards
- Best Dried Fruit for Charcuterie Boards
- Best Fruit for Charcuterie Boards
- Best Veggies for Charcuterie Boards
- Best Pickles for Charcuterie Board Designs
Best Bread for Charcuterie Boards
Below you can find some details on the best bread for charcuterie boards including what else to serve and links if you choose to make your own bread.
French Baguette
These long narrow loafs are one of the best breads for charcuterie boards. Slice the loaf thins either directly across the bread, or at an angle. This bread is perfect for topping with other delicious ingredients and can be served with almost any charcuterie board.
One of our favorite ways to serve a French baguette is on a bread and soup charcuterie board.
If you want to make your own french baguette for your charcuterie board, check out this recipe at King Arthur Flour.
Sourdough Loaf
A sourdough loaf can come is a variety of shapes and sizes, but tens to be bigger that a French baguette. This bread has a distinct taste, but pairs well with most ingredients. Serve sourdough with sliced cheeses and meats. I love thinly sliced sausage and pickles as well.
There is quite an art to making sourdough bread. You can find a recipe here.
Ciabatta
Ciabatta is a white Italian bread that makes and easy bread for many charcuterie boards. Serve ciabatta with tomatoes and cheese, or top with picked vegetables and meats. Since ciabatta often comes in a bigger loaf, you may want to slice each piece thinly and then cut each slice in half. The bread tends to be chewy and porous.
To make ciabatta, check out this recipe.
Bread with Nuts or Fruit
If you are planning for a simple charcuterie board that involves basic spreads, a bread that has nuts and fruit makes a great choice. Note that these breads can often have a loose texture and be more challenging to slice. Choose to serve this hearty or sweet bread with a breakfast charcuterie board or a charcuterie board with some sweet elements. Cream cheese or other slightly sweet spreads make a great addition to this type of board.
Bread with Garlic or Olives
A flavorful and delicious bread with garlic, olives or herbs can be a good addition to a charcuterie board. Make sure you serve this savory bread with salty, earthy or delicious foods that don’t overpower the taste of the bread.
Breadsticks
While very different from the other breads on this list, breadsticks fall somewhere between the bread and cracker family. Breadsticks are easy to eat and make a good finger food item that can be dipped in delicious spreads like mustard, hummus, or cheese spreads. Choose small and narrow breadsticks that are crunchy and easy to pick up and eat.
This breadstick recipe is DELICIOUS!
Whole Grain Bread
Whole grain bread is one of my favorite types of bread to add to a charcuterie board. This includes rich and earthy flavored breads like pumpernickel, whole wheat, and rye bread. These are great with the rich meats and cheese. Depending on the type of bread, you may need to thinly slice the bread in several ways to make sure they are bite sized or easy to pick up. These breads also offer a variety of colors to make a great charcuterie board.
Bonus: Focaccia Bread
Focaccia is a slightly different type of bread for a charcuterie board, but we couldn’t leave this off the list. If you want a charcuterie board built from bread, consider making this Focaccia Charcuterie Board.
How to Serve Bread on a Charcuterie Board
You can serve bread in a variety of ways – most importantly slice the bread thinly and make sure each slice can be eaten in just a few bites and easily picked up. Bread is often one of the first things I put on a board and lay the board out in straight or wavy lines. Fill in the other charcuterie board ingredients around the bread.
Want to take your board to the next level? Consider adding edible flowers or another garnish to your board.
