NSD!!

National Sandwich Day?!?
damn, duders-
you KNOW your boy is about that life, for sure.
it's a real thing,
and while i only found out about it through a snapchat filter(so lame, i know),
once the information was in my brain,
it was absolutely inescapable.
homemade bread became a mandatory necessity,
and the makings of a big action deluxxxe jaun were in the works all dang day.
i get into the spirit of sandwiches,
and i get into the spirit of celebrating,
and i get into some THINGS when both are colliding, neighbors.
check the teleport:

WOOOOOOOOOOOORD!!
that's black-peppery whole wheat hottness, freshly baked and somewhat steamy still,
packed full to overflowing with pickles, and baby spinach,
and caramelized sweet onions,
and pickled jalapenos, and AVO-F*ING-CADO, and pea shoots,
and herby-crispy tofu,
plus ho'sauce to accentuate the spice, and make it twice as nice.
the very-nearly overripe avocado was so soft, it spread perfectly across the surface of the bread!
the pickles drizzled their briney heinies into the bottom crust,
and the jalapenos had their own juicy juice let loose into the 'fu!
....and somehow, it was not a wet mess.
nope.
it was a sensual and succulent success story of power and glory...
guys!
a good sandwich is always a good idea,
but a spicy little number like this one is a flippin' triumph.
*
so what's up with that tofu?
for starters, it's dope.
yup.
fried up in coocnut oil, in a very hot pan,
after being dragged through a mixture of flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika,
GPOP, nootch, thyme, and sage,
it was crisp on the outside and packed with flavor,
plus the interior was sealed up tight, soft, but superexxxtrafirm.
i like a tofu that's zero percent dry, but not drippy and soggy and sad.
i dunno about y'all, but i get psyched as hell when the golden goodness of a tofu slab
comes out crisp and soft and spicy.
small victories lead to grand conquests, or so i'm told.
mmmmmm.
*
and the bread?
expert.
of course.
i mean, good bread makes better people,
and i steadily try to be better, man.
since i knew early on it was gonna be a sandwich night,
i started the dough early-shirley in the morning,
so it'd have a rich, deep, developed flavor by nightfall.
really.
i like to have some idea of what's happening on the base layer,
before i build a b!tch on top of it...
at any rate,
here's how it went down:
-
* 
WHITE WHOLE WHEAT SMALLS!
-
in your trustworthy and wonderful stand mixer,
combine:
1 cup white whole wheat flour;
2 cups white flour;
2 tsp salt;
2 tsp sugar;
3 T olive oil;
1/2 tsp black pepper;
1 pkg (~2 T) fast-actin' yeast.
-
using your dough hook, knead in:
3/4 cup warmed non-dairy milk,
activated with 1tsp bread machine yeast.
(i like the flavor of a heavily yeasted bread, bro, don't judge me)
-
beat it up for about five solid heavy-handed minutes,
and let it rise, covered, for thirty more.
punch it down, and put it in the fridge until you're ready to use it, hopefully later in the day,
or the next morning, or thereabouts.
preheat your oven to 420℉,
and divide your dough into 4 long lengths.
i give 'em the slits for rising,
and let 'em re-bulk while the oven heats up.
these little logs baked for 20 minutes,
and were a *perfect* golden brown.
damn,
but OH how i do so love a fresh-baked loaf of new hottness.
-
sandwiched don't have to be complicated,
but the more sh!t you pile on,
the better you'll feel later when you're thinking about the kaleidoscope of tastes you enjoyed.
i know that's what i do anyway.
yep.
that's my thing.
too much is the right amount.
anything else is a waste of time.
***********
this weekend is mobbed with stuff.
i've got tattoos overbooked and backed-to-back-to-bacdafukup'd all day today and tomorrow,
plus,
there's molto dog doo-doo to do,
and dinners to attend to, too.
plus tomorrow is bonfire night,
and you KNOW i've been saving a mountain of combustible moves for just such an occasion.
mmhmmm.
rules is rules, friends.
so,
i've got plenty to keep me busy,
and i've got ten winks of sleep to do it all with.
that's thirty too few for the ordinary average everyday human,
but i'm guessing i've got the perseverance and the determination to make the most of the
bleary-eyed weary extra minutes that i've got at hand.
tomorrow, we time travel back to the future,
but i'm willing to bet that crabtree can't read a clock,
and will have me up and at 'em before i'm ready.
...so much for extra hours, amirite?
it's all really happening, and it's all ending, a minute at a time;
never quiet, never soft.....