The Best Bread for Grilled Cheese: How to Choose It and Grill It

The best bread for grilled cheese is a sturdy loaf with a tight, even crumb, cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Sourdough is the top choice for a crisp, tangy crust that holds rich, melty cheese; a soft white sandwich bread is best for the classic diner-style sandwich. Avoid breads with big holes, which let the cheese leak into the pan, and cook sweet, enriched breads like brioche on lower heat, because they brown before the cheese melts.

Below: the four things that make a bread good for grilled cheese, a comparison of the common choices (including breads we do not sell), a sourdough grilled cheese method, which cheese to pair with which bread, and how to fix a sandwich that burns, leaks or never melts.

What makes a good bread for grilled cheese?

A grilled cheese sandwich is a race between two things: the outside turning golden brown and the inside melting. The right loaf lets both finish at the same time. Here is what a baker looks at:

• A tight, even crumb. Small, regular holes hold the melted cheese inside the sandwich. A very open, airy loaf full of large pockets lets it run straight through to the pan.
• The right thickness. About 1/2 inch for a crusty loaf you slice yourself; a standard sandwich slice works for soft bread. Too thin and the bread burns or turns limp; too thick and the cheese stays cold in the middle.
• Structure. The slice has to stay flat and firm under the spatula, and hold the weight of the cheese without tearing. A very soft loaf can flatten into a dense layer.
• Sugar and fat. Breads made with sugar, butter, milk or eggs taste rich and brown fast. That is not a flaw, but it means lower heat and more patience.

The best breads for grilled cheese, compared

There is no single winner: it depends on the sandwich you want. Here is what each common choice does well, where it falls short, and the cheese it likes best. We sell some of these breads and not others, and we say so.

Our pick for an everyday grilled cheese is a sourdough with a fine, regular crumb. For a nostalgic, soft and gooey version, a white sandwich bread. We do not sell rye, Texas toast or brioche loaves; if those are your favorites, the method below works for them too, with the heat adjustments noted. Same loaf, different breakfast: ideas for sourdough toast.

Is sourdough good for grilled cheese?

Yes. Sourdough bread is one of the most common choices for a grilled cheese sandwich, for three reasons. Its crust turns crispy and golden brown in butter. Its firm, chewy crumb holds a thick layer of melted cheese without going soggy. And the mild tang from the long fermentation balances the butter and the cheese, so the sandwich never tastes flat. Not sure what makes a good loaf? Read how to choose sourdough bread.

Our organic Sourdough Loaf is made with our house natural sourdough culture, with a robust crust and a tender interior. It ships frozen, par-baked, from the Fresh Baguette kitchen in Germantown, Maryland. To use it for grilled cheese:

1. Bake it whole from the freezer. Preheat the oven to 430°F, remove all the packaging, and set the frozen loaf directly on the middle rack, with no baking sheet. Bake for 16 to 23 minutes.
2. Let it rest at least 20 minutes before you slice it: the bread keeps baking as it cools, and a warm crumb tears and squashes under the knife.
3. Slice it about 1/2 inch thick with a serrated knife, using long, gentle strokes so every slice is even. Keep the slices from the middle of the loaf for sandwiches; the ends make great toast.

A loaf baked the day before is even easier to slice thin and straight. Once baked, the product page recommends keeping it for a couple of days in a zip-lock bag at room temperature. Our other organic sourdough loaves (Walnut & Raisin, Superseed, Ancient Grain, Heritage Whole Wheat, Golden Spelt) follow the same baking steps, but not every bread in our sourdough and artisan bread collection does: the Pioneer loaves, baguettes and ficelles bake at 450°F for 6 to 10 minutes, so always check the instructions on each product page.

Sourdough Loaf, organic

Made with our house sourdough culture, par-baked and shipped frozen. Bake it whole from the freezer at 430°F for 16 to 23 minutes, let it rest at least 20 minutes, then slice it for your sandwiches. One of the 4 to 12 packs in your box (boxes from $89).

See the sourdough loaf

Sourdough grilled cheese: the skillet recipe

This is a general home-cooking recipe for one sandwich, not a bakery recipe. The secret is patience: medium-low heat, a few minutes per side, and a lid for the first side so the cheese melts through. Grilling burgers too? See the right bun for each burger.

Ingredients (1 sandwich)

• 2 slices of sourdough, about 1/2 inch thick
• 1 1/2 tablespoons softened salted butter, or 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 2 to 3 ounces of cheese (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated), for example half sharp cheddar and half Gruyère or Monterey Jack
• Optional: a thin layer of mustard inside, a few slices of tomato, a pinch of black pepper

Instructions

1. Grate the cheese. Grated cheese melts faster and more evenly than thick slices. Let it sit out for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest.
2. Butter the outside. Spread the soft butter edge to edge on one side of each slice. Mayonnaise works too: it spreads easily and browns quickly. Some cooks use a thin layer of each.
3. Build the sandwich. Put one slice butter side down in a cold or barely warm skillet, pile the cheese on it, leaving a small margin at the edges, and close with the second slice, butter side up.
4. Cook the first side covered. Set the burner to medium-low and cover the skillet. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottom is golden and the cheese starts to soften.
5. Flip and finish. Flip with a wide spatula, press lightly once, and cook the second side uncovered for 2 to 4 minutes, until it is golden brown and the cheese is melted when you lift a corner.
6. Rest 1 minute, then cut it in half on the diagonal. The cheese sets slightly and stays in the sandwich instead of on the board. Serve it with a bowl of tomato soup, the classic pairing.

Baker's tip: butter the bread, not the pan. Butter spread on the slice browns evenly from edge to edge; butter melted in the pan pools under the middle and leaves pale corners. For the outside, a good salted butter makes a real difference: we like the cultured Sea Salt Butter by Banner Butter, finished with flakes of hand-harvested sea salt.

The classic soft version, with sandwich bread

For the grilled cheese sandwich many Americans grew up with, soft white sandwich bread and a slice or two of American cheese or mild cheddar are hard to beat. The slices are uniform, so the sandwich cooks at the same pace everywhere, and the soft crumb melts into the cheese.

Our organic Sandwich White is a sliced loaf with the soft, tender texture of a classic Pullman loaf, made with organic oat milk and sunflower oil. It comes sliced and frozen, so you can take out just the two slices you need. For grilled cheese, let them sit on the counter for a few minutes while you grate the cheese, so they lie flat in the pan, then follow the recipe above with a little less time per side: a soft sandwich slice browns faster than a crusty sourdough one. For toast, the slices go straight from the freezer into the toaster for 1.5 to 2 minutes.

You will find it next to our Cro'Gel and burger buns in the sandwich bread collection.

Sandwich White, sliced

Soft organic slices with the texture of a classic Pullman loaf, sliced and frozen. Take out just two slices for a grilled cheese, or toast them from frozen in 1.5 to 2 minutes. Add it to your box.

See the sandwich white

What cheese is best for grilled cheese?

The best grilled cheese uses at least one cheese that melts smoothly, and often a second one for taste. Young, moist cheeses melt; hard, aged ones bring taste but can turn grainy or oily on their own.

• Great melters: American cheese, young cheddar, Monterey Jack, fontina, Havarti, low-moisture mozzarella, Muenster.
• Flavor cheeses: aged cheddar, Gruyère, Swiss, Gouda, provolone, a little Parmesan.
• Soft cheeses: Brie and goat cheese melt into a creamy layer; pair them with a sturdy bread and something sweet, like fruit or jam.

A simple rule: about two parts melting cheese for one part flavor cheese. With sourdough, a sharp cheddar and Gruyère mix is a classic. On a sweeter bread, Brie or aged cheddar.

Beyond the classic: three of our breads, three sandwiches

• Walnut and raisin with Brie. Our Walnut & Raisin Sourdough folds organic walnuts and plump raisins into a sourdough crumb. Slice it thin, fill it with Brie or aged cheddar and a few slices of apple, and cook it on low heat: the fruit browns quickly.
• Superseed with cheddar and tomato. The Superseed Sourdough is full of toasted oats, flax, sunflower seeds and millet, so the crust gets an extra crunch. Sharp cheddar and a slice of ripe tomato, patted dry, suit its roasted, nutty taste.
• Whole wheat with Swiss and mustard. The Heritage Whole Wheat Sourdough has a moist, tender crumb for a whole wheat bread. A thin layer of mustard inside, Swiss or Gruyère, and you have a deli-style melt.

Not sure how our breads go from the bakery to your freezer and your oven? Read how it works.

How to keep grilled cheese from burning: tips and fixes

• The outside burns before the cheese melts. The burner is too high or the slices too thick. Turn it down to medium-low, cover the skillet for the first side, and grate the cheese instead of slicing it.
• The cheese leaks into the pan. The loaf has big holes, or the cheese reaches the edges. Choose slices with a tight crumb and leave a small margin around the cheese.
• The sandwich is greasy. Too much butter, or a pan that is not hot enough to brown it. Spread a thin, even layer on the bread and let the pan warm up before the second side.
• The outside is pale and soft. Not enough heat or time. Give it another minute per side, and press lightly with the spatula so the whole slice touches the pan.
• The middle is soggy. Wet fillings like tomato release water. Pat them dry with a paper towel and put them between two layers of cheese, not against the bread.

Shop the bakery

Walnut & Raisin SourdoughSweet and savory, made for Brie or aged cheddar.See the loaf →Superseed SourdoughOats, flax, sunflower seeds and millet for extra crunch.See the loaf →All our sourdough and artisan breadPar-baked, shipped frozen, finished in your oven.Shop the breads →

Questions about bread for grilled cheese

What kind of bread is best for sandwiches in general?

For cold sandwiches, a soft sandwich loaf or a sourdough with a tight crumb, cut in even slices. For hot, pressed sandwiches, sturdier breads like sourdough or ciabatta hold up better. The best bread is the one whose texture matches the filling: soft for soft fillings, crusty for juicy or heavy ones.

Should you use butter or mayonnaise on grilled cheese?

Both work. Butter gives a rich, nutty flavor; mayonnaise spreads easily straight from the fridge and browns fast and evenly. Many cooks use butter for taste and a thin layer of mayonnaise for color.

How thick should bread be for grilled cheese?

About 1/2 inch for a loaf you slice yourself, like sourdough. Standard sliced sandwich bread is fine as it is. Thicker slices need lower heat and a lid so the cheese melts through.

Why won't my grilled cheese melt?

The burner is usually too high, so the outside is done in a minute and the inside stays cold. Use medium-low heat, cover the pan for the first side, and use grated cheese at room temperature.

Can you make grilled cheese with frozen bread?

Yes. Sliced bread can go into the pan after a few minutes on the counter, and you can even start it frozen over low heat with a lid. A whole par-baked loaf like our sourdough has to be baked and cooled first, then sliced.