With so many tasty breads to pick from, putting together an epic charcuterie board is tricky (and maybe overwhelming)! Create a perfect charcuterie board arrangement for your next gathering with these recipes and suggestions for the best breads for charcuterie board.
- What is a Charcuterie Board?
- Choosing The Very Best Breads for Charcuterie Board
- Baguettes
- Sourdough Bread
- Multigrain Bread
- Breadsticks
- Herb Bread
- Flat Bread
- Artisan Bread
- Mini Croissants
- Mini Rolls
- Pretzel Bread
- Gluten-Free Bread
- How to Serve Bread on a Charcuterie Board
- How to Arrange a Charcuterie Board
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Charcuterie Board?
A charcuterie board is a mouth-watering spread of cured meats, cheeses, and other ingredients! Traditionally, making a “charcuterie” only applied to cured meats. However, today, there is a charcuterie board for everything. Most often, it refers to a wooden board with carefully placed meats, cheeses, crackers, fruits, nuts, dips, and delicious bread.
A typical charcuterie board includes prosciutto, hard salami, soft cheese, hard cheese, crackers, bread, dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts, olives, and pickles. With so many options, a charcuterie board is a tasty way to snack in style.
Choosing The Very Best Breads for Charcuterie Board
Deciding on the best bread for your charcuterie board depends on what you intend to serve with it. Some breads work better with jams, dips, and spreads. Others are perfect for layering cured meat and cheese. Knowing what you’re serving will help you select the right bread for your board.
Charcuterie boards are all about variety, am I right? And the bread you select is the key to balancing out those bites of savory meats, creamy cheeses, and spreads. What are my personal favorites? Have a look below.
Baguettes
You can purchase mini crostini at the store or make your own. Crostini, or little toasts, are an Italian appetizer or antipasto, and they also happen to be the most common bread on a cheese or charcuterie board. Plus, have you tried them with my burrata bruschetta? Mind-blowing!
1. Mini Crostini
All you need to make your own crostini is a toasted French baguette, olive oil, and roasted garlic if you’re feeling fancy. Serve the bread with cheese, meat, dips, and spreads.
2. Pao de Sal
Make homestyle Brazilian French bread, pao de sal. The pillowy soft bread is a tasty addition to a charcuterie board. You can cut it into slices, perfect for spreading jams and jellies.
3. French Bread
Do you prefer making homemade French bread for a charcuterie board? This easy-to-make recipe is crispy, while the inside is soft and creamy.
4. Italian Bread
Make homemade crusty bread using five simple ingredients. Italian bread is nice and crispy with a pillowy soft chew.
5. Vietnamese Baguette
Like Pao de sal, these Vietnamese baguettes are perfect for slicing and serving with toppings, soft cheeses, dips, and savory spreads. Plus, how cute is this banh mi board?
Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread has a unique flavor that pairs with butter, spreads, and creamy cheeses like whipped feta. And since sourdough comes in all shapes and sizes, use them as a vessel for sliced cheeses and meats.
6. Sourdough Bread
You can buy sourdough bread in stores like Aldi’s (buy it if you have one near you), but making sourdough at home is delicious and so rewarding once you get the hang of it. Sourdough Brandon’s everyday recipe for sourdough is perfect for beginners and advanced bakers.
7. Sourdough Discard Bread
If you want a crusty loaf of sourdough bread but don’t want to wait forever to make it, sourdough discard bread is a great option. It’s ready in two hours, meaning you can prepare the other ingredients, like bone marrow butter, for the charcuterie board while the bread bakes.
8. Sourdough French Bread
Like other French bread recipes on this list, sourdough French bread is ideal for dipping and spreading and a must-have bread for a charcuterie board.
Multigrain Bread
Whole grain or multigrain bread has a unique and nutty flavor, making it a delicious addition to a charcuterie board.
Breadsticks
If you’re looking for a simple addition to your charcuterie board, consider including store-bought or homemade breadsticks. Breadsticks come in different textures and flavors, and they add height to the board, so they are one of the best breads for charcuterie board. Plus, they are a sturdy base for scooping soft cheeses, compound butter, and jams.
9. Sourdough Breadsticks
Garlic and herb-flavored sourdough breadsticks are easy to make and go great as a side dish, or you can pair them with some of the best crackers for charcuterie board.
10. Taralli Pugliesi
Make the small, ring-shaped crackers with flour, olive oil, and herbs. You can serve them with various pairings, such as soft and hard cheeses, cured meats, olives, and spreads. Plus, they would look so cute in a decorative bowl.
11. Ciabatta Breadsticks
Take your snacking game to the next level with homemade ciabatta breadsticks. They have a chewy golden crust and soft, airy interior.
12. Parmesan Breadsticks
Parmesan breadsticks are the perfect easy, homemade breadstick, and because these are heart-shaped, they are perfect for date night, anniversary, or Valentine’s charcuterie boards.
Herb Bread
13. Rosemary Garlic Bread
Rustic rosemary garlic bread is wonderfully golden brown on the outside with a soft, fluffy center and plenty of garlic flavor. I love to cut them into bite-size pieces and place them next to olive oil dip.
14. Rosemary Bread
No-knead rosemary bread is a beautiful, lofty loaf infused with rosemary flavor. Warm, soft, and pillowy in the center with a crisp crust, it’s delicious, addicting, and perfect for any occasion!
Flat Bread
Flatbreads are a great addition to charcuterie boards! You can cut them into triangles or use them to roll up other ingredients.
15. Naan
Naan is a soft and fluffy bread that serves as a vessel for scooping up flavorful sauces, soft cheeses, or butter for a butter board.
16. Pita Chips
Whip up a quick batch of homemade za’atar-spiced pita chips from pita bread to serve as a tasty appetizer or snack for a Mediterranean-inspired charcuterie board. They pair perfectly with butter bean hummus or beetroot dip!
17. Lebanese Khubz
The word Khubz applies to all types of bread but most often refers to Middle Eastern flatbread. Use the bread as a dipper for homemade hummus, zaalouk, skhug, labneh, muhammara, and other dips – perfect for a meze or a charcuterie board.
18. Turkish Yufka
Yufka is a Turkish-style flatbread, and this gluten-free recipe calls for the bread to be rolled thin and cooked on the stovetop. Eat it with a colorful dip like havuç tarator!
19. Turkish Pide Bread
You can slice the pide bread to dip into mezzes or spreads such as cacik, havuç tarator, smoked salmon pate, hummus, or haydari.
Artisan Bread
20. No Knead Bread
Make this easy no-knead artisan bread in a Dutch oven using only four ingredients!
21. Artisan Olive Oil Bread
Artisan olive oil bread is fast and easy to make, and the dough is versatile enough to use in bread and other recipes; this flexibility makes it a solid option for a charcuterie board.
22. Cranberry Wild Rice Bread
Wild rice cranberry bread is perfect for all seasons and all charcuterie boards! Slather the bread slices with delicious ingredients like flavored goat cheese or fig spread. Plus, the sprinkles of color throughout the bread would make it stand out on a board.
23. Rosemary Focaccia
Rosemary focaccia has a crispy crust and chewy center with delicious olive oil and rosemary flavor in every bite. Enjoy this easy-to-make, fresh-baked, homemade bread with fresh herbs alongside dips and spreads.
24. Homemade Focaccia Bread
Basic focaccia bread is a favorite in our home. Warm and fresh from the oven, dunk the bread in olive oil and serve it with other toppings.
25. Olive Za’atar Focaccia Bread
A ton of love goes into a loaf of no-knead olive za’atar focaccia bread. And the combination of Palestinian za’atar and olives will really make it stand out on a board.
While we’re on the topic, if you love the spice blend, my za’atar turkey is a great choice for your next holiday meal.
Mini Croissants
Bite-sized mini croissants are easy to pick up and eat with your fingers, so they are an excellent addition to a charcuterie board. Their small, bite-sized form and delicate, flaky texture allow them to soak up spreads.
Mini Rolls
27. Mini Garlic Bread Bites
Garlic bread bites are the perfect appetizer for any occasion. Plus, they are drenched in garlic butter, and they are a great addition to charcuterie boards. Serve them with sugo al pomodoro in a pretty bowl.
28. Garlic Knots
Homemade garlic knots don’t have to be difficult to be delicious! These are super easy and come together in 30 minutes! Plus, they would taste great with pistachio pesto.
29. Pumpkin Buns
Soft and fluffy pumpkin buns are a delicious and flavorful alternative to basic rolls and are perfect for a fall-themed charcuterie board like my Thanksgiving butter board. Plus, they would taste great with fig jam or apricot jam.
Pretzel Bread
30. Air Fryer Pretzel Bites
Air fryer pretzel bites are a great bread for parties and themed charcuterie boards. You’ll love how soft, chewy, and plain delicious these bite-sized treats are. Perfect for dunking in a grainy mustard dip!
Gluten-Free Bread
31. Semolina Bread
Semolina Italian bread has a golden crust, creamy texture, and amazing flavor.
32. Buckwheat Bread
Buckwheat flour gives this hearty loaf a nutrient boost and a nutty flavor! It’s naturally vegan and dairy-free, with a gluten-free option!
33. Grain-Free Flatbread
Almond flour flatbread is baked with no cheese or oil! Plus, you will love how light, fluffy and versatile it is.
How to Serve Bread on a Charcuterie Board
- Slice the Bread: Cut classic sourdough or a baguette into thin slices, fan them out in a single layer, or arrange them like I do for my Thanksgiving butter board.
- Cube the Bread: Cut larger loaves of bread into cubes and arrange them in a pile or decorative bowl for easy dipping.
- Create Wedges: Cut flatbread or pita bread into wedges and arrange them on the board; the soft, chewy texture pairs perfectly with creamy cheeses and thin-sliced meat.
- Crostini: Fan out the small crostini on the board and pair them with olive oil and various fixings like cheese, pesto, or hummus for delicious bite-sized snacks.
- Breadsticks: Gather homemade or store-bought breadsticks and arrange them onto the board or use them to fill a beautiful cup to create height and balance.
- Wraps: Use flatbreads like naan to make wraps with cured meats, cheeses, and other fillings.
How to Arrange a Charcuterie Board
Beautifully arrange the ingredients for your charcuterie boards on a large wooden board or cutting board. Check out this article for helpful tips on choosing the best board for the perfect display. The key is to create a balance using meat, cheese, fruit, nuts, crackers, spread, and bread (of course).
Roll the cured meats or fan them out with cheeses. Place the crackers and breads in baskets or fan them around small clusters of fruits, nuts, and olives.
Position dips and spreads in small decorative bowls near the bread you plan to pair them with and create height by propping the ingredients on risers or cups. Avoid overcrowding and allow space in between so guests can easily access all the elements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What dips to serve with bread on a charcuterie board?
• Hummus
• Pesto
• Tapenade
• Tzatziki
• Beetroot Dip
• Zaalouk
• Havuc Tarator
• Muhammara
• Jam
More Bread Recipes: