This giant party sandwich, or “Bundtwich” is made for sharing! Layers of your favorite sandwich toppings are all assembled on a scratch-made white bread bun that has been baked in a bundt pan.
Father’s Day is coming up, and I’ve been cooking up a new menu for an all-around crowd pleasing feast. This giant party sandwich, or “Bundtwich” is the main attraction, and just perfect for the occasion. Not only is it a delicious sandwich piled high with deli meats and cheeses, it also makes a pretty great party centerpiece. Just look at it! Also, the special dads in my life are true sandwich connoisseurs, so this was a no-brainer.
So, what’s a Bundtwich? Plainly, it’s a giant ring-shaped sandwich made by baking bread in a bundt pan and then slicing it horizontally to fill with various sandwich ingredients. Reportedly, it was invented in 1986 by Dorothy Dalquist, wife of bundt pan inventor and Nordic Ware founder H. David Dalquist. It has since been made popular by Pillsbury, utilizing their canned breads to make the bundt-shaped sandwich buns. Much as I love a shortcut, this bundtwich bun is made using a scratch-made Amish white bread recipe. It’s sturdy and slightly sweet, which makes it perfect for splitting and stacking on all kinds of savory deli meats, cheeses, and dressings. And it’s not too hard to make – promise!
Feasting Ahead
Along with the big, beautiful, bundtwich, there are appetizers and sides linked in this post – in case you need help making your own Father’s Day spread. Although there are some heavy, meaty items on the menu that are widely considered “Dude Food”, I think the appeal is much wider. The fare is meant to feed your guests well. And any of these would be right at home at a family reunion, potluck, picnic, birthday – you get the idea.
Or if you’re totally up for the Father’s Day theme – complete with adorable Necktie Wreath (pictured) – then you can find Rachel Nelson’s DIY right here. It’s a no sew project to boot!
But first – let’s make a bundtwich bun.
Make the Dough
Start by mixing up warm water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. After 5 minutes, when the yeast is activated, add in bread flour a little at a time until a shaggy dough forms. Then, switch the the dough hook. Mix, adding just enough flour to form a cohesive soft dough. Knead for about 7 minutes. For more visuals, see the video just above the recipe card in this post.
Let the dough rise until doubled, which takes about an hour.
Shape the Dough
Knock the air out of the dough. Then, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it down, keeping its circular shape. Use a 3″ cookie cutter or pastry ring to cut a hole in the center of the dough.
Put it in a Bundt Pan and Bake
Place the dough in a greased and floured bundt pan, threading the hole in the bread over the bundt pan’s center tube. Use your fingertips to lightly tamp the dough down evenly. (Kind of like poking focaccia, but not as forceful.) Then, cover the pan and let rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan. About 45 minutes.
Bake and Butter the Bun
Bake the dough for 35-40 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer tests to 190°F (mine baked in 36 minutes). Turn the giant bun out onto a wire rack and brush it with melted butter. Not only does this add flavor, but it removes excess flour from the loaf. I chose to sprinkle the top with some sesame seeds (and you can too!) – bake for 5 more minutes to toast and set them.
Add Your Favorite Fillings
Prep the bun: Cut it in half and set the top aside. Use a fork to remove some of the middle of the bread to hollow it out. This makes more room for all the fillings. And save the bread scraps! They make excellent breadcrumbs.
Begin your fillings with some mayo or other dressing to keep the sandwich bread moist and flavorful (I also like blue cheese dressing on my sandwiches). Next, fill the hollow with shredded lettuce, or other veggies. I’m a self proclaimed ‘Two Salad Sue’ so I topped mine with even more greens, some leaves of romaine.
Create a Sampler Bundtwich
Add a variety of meats and cheeses for the ultimate party sub sampler. Here I’ve assembled a trio of Black Forest ham, roast turkey, and roast beef deli meats. Also three cheeses: Swiss, Colby jack, provolone. Of course, you can simplify it with only one type of meat and cheese. The curation is all up to you!
Add red onion and tomato – and anything else you’d like, such as a shake of Italian seasoning, oil and vinegar – to your party bundtwich. Let your favorite sandwich shop sub be your inspiration.
This Bundtwich is large and in charge! It’s both a tasty sandwich and party centerpiece. It will feed at least a dozen guests, or 8 very hungry people with big appetites.
Here’s the entire spread – complete with some easy sides, appetizers, and desserts. Following is a rundown of some menu items – with some favorite recipes from the Sprinkle Bakes archives linked.
Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread
This super scrumptious and EASY Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread is made with ready-made pizza dough from the grocery store. Each little pizza dough nugget is stuffed with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. The original recipe is baked in a bundt pan, but it’s just as easy to make them in a muffin tin. Instructions for making them into muffins is in the recipe’s notes right here.
Jalapeno Poppers
Delicious and and oh-so snackable – these Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers are real crowd pleasers. They’re not hard to put together, and you can assemble them a day ahead and store them in the refrigerator. So cheesy! Remove the jalapeno seeds for less heat, or keep them in for a real kick! One of our favorite appetizers, ever.
Blondies and Brownies
My dad loves peanut butter anything! So these a pan of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies is a must! They’re so chewy and satisfying. Or, for the beer enthusiast in your life, try my Five Ingredient Guinness Brownies which are so fudgy in their centers with crackled tops. The Guinness flavor is subtle, and somehow, makes the cocoa in the brownies taste even more chocolaty!
A Few Convenience Foods
To maximize the spread and shortcut the work, consider getting a couple of things ready-made from the grocery store. Pigs in blankets and potato skins from the freezer section just need a short bake in the oven. Salsa and chips and mixed nuts are party favorites, and simply need to be plated.
I like to serve a couple of special beverages, aside from sweet tea (house wine of the south) and pitchers of ice water. Bottles of dad’s favorite beer, and mixed drinks such as well-garnished bloody mary cocktails will get the party started. For those who don’t imbibe, I often serve bottled soft drinks such as Mexican Coca-Cola and root beer.
This Bundtwich is endlessly customizable! It’s so easy to switch up with your favorite sandwich dressings and fillings. I think an Italian themed bundtwich would be delicious, dressed with pesto, provolone, and salami. How about a Philly cheesesteak version? Or a vegetarian version loaded with crunchy veggies, greens and cheeses? I’m totally up for all of them!
The real MVP of this dish is the scratch-made white bread bun. It holds everything together beautifully. The recipe will yield one bundt bun, or can be made into two 9×5 inch loaves. If you’re just hankering or some really good, lightly sweet white bread.
Enjoy!
Publisher note: From a small online publisher to freelancers and publishers for larger kitchen-centric blogs – If you are mining my blog for content ideas, please wait a few weeks to publish your very similar content so it’s not so obvious. That said, I’m truly grateful for anyone who chooses to read my blog, and I understand that online creators inspire each other. Sincerely, -h.
Related Recipe: Make Ahead Party Food with Recipes
Bundtwich Party Sandwich
White Bread Bun
- 2 cups warm water 110°F
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain salt
- 6 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds optional
Sandwich Fillings
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce such as romaine or iceberg
- 10 whole romaine lettuce leaves
- 3/4 lb. Black Forest ham deli meat
- 3/4 lb. roast turkey deli meat
- 3/4 lb. roast beef deli meat
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- 6 slices Colby jack cheese
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- Red onion to taste (I used 10 rings 1/4-inch thick)
- 2 medium tomatoes cut into 1/4-inch slices
White Bread Bun
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the warm water and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Stir in yeast. Let stand 5-7 minutes, or until yeast is well bloomed with a foamy, bubbly appearance.
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Add the oil and salt. Mix briefly. Turn the mixer on low and add 4 cups of flour. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook. Turn the mixer on low and add more flour a little at a time. You may not have to use all of the flour (I used about 5 1/4 cups).
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When a cohesive soft dough forms cleans the sides of the bowl (but may stick a little in the bottom of the bowl) turn the mixer to medium speed. Knead for 7 minutes with the dough hook. Remove dough to a greased bowl and turn over once to coat. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap that has been lightly misted with cooking spray.
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Place the bowl in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a 3-inch wide round cookie cutter to stamp a round hole in the center of the dough.
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Grease and flour a large 12 cup bundt pan (or use flour-based baking spray). Place the dough into the prepared pan, threading bundt pan center through the hole in the dough. Use fingertips to lightly press the dough evenly into the pan, kind of like poking focaccia, but not as forceful (see video for action). Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap that has been lightly misted with cooking spray. Transfer the pan to a warm place to rise until it comes to the top of the pan, about 40-45 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bread is fragrant. The bread is done when it reaches 190°F on an instant read thermometer (insert the thermometer into the deepest part of the well in the bundt pan). Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle on sesame seeds if desired. If using sesame seeds, bake the bread for 5 minutes more in the oven to toast the seeds, and to set them on the bread.
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Allow the bread to cool completely before filling.
Assemble the Sandwich
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Use a large serrated knife to cut the bread loaf in half horizontally. Remove the top. Use a fork to remove some of the middle of the bread to create a hollow in the loaf. Spread half of the mayonnaise over the bottom half of the loaf, and spread the other half over the cut side of the loaf top.
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Fill the hollow with shredded lettuce, then top with romaine leaves. Place Black Forest ham over 1/3 of the sandwich, followed by roast turkey over another 1/3, and then the roast beef over the final 1/3 of the sandwich.
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Arrange Swiss cheese over the ham, Colby jack over the turkey, and provolone over the roast beef. Top with red onion and tomatoes. Place the bun top over the tomatoes and press down lightly.
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Cover the sandwich with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This can be made a few hours ahead of serving, but should be served the same day it is assembled.
Flour Amounts: As stated in the recipe, you may not need to use all the flour in the dough. Add just enough to make a cohesive soft dough that isn’t sticky.
Cutting the Sandwich: You’ll want to skewer each sandwich piece as you slice it, so individual servings don’t fall apart. So be sure to pick up some long party picks to use for serving.
Bake as 9×5 Loaves: After the first rise, deflate the dough. Knead briefly, just a few turns, then divide in half. Shape the dough into loaves by flattening each piece into a rectangle, then folding/rolling it into thirds, until a rectangular loaf shape is achieved. Bake the loaves in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Amish Bread Recipe: The Amish white bread recipe I used is from allrecipes with my shaping methods adapted for bundt pan baking.