Smørrebrød—Danish for "buttered bread," is an edible art form. You've come to the right place to learn how to make these beautiful and delicious open faced sandwiches that would make a Dane nod in approval!
Danish Smørrebrød are arguably the most beautiful sandwiches in the world. Served open faced so that the ingredients can be displayed and admired, these Danish sandwiches can be easily created by you!
Here you'll find a recipe for two different varieties of smørrebrød, or "buttered bread," that would be perfect for your lunch or enjoyed as a snack.
But first, allow me to tell you a little about the history of Denmark's edible art form.
A Bit of Smørrebrød History
Smørrebrød has rural origins dating back to the 18th century, when it was all about practicality.
Danish workers needed lunch that traveled well and stayed fresh without refrigeration. Dense rye bread, rugbrød, was sturdy enough to hold food and lasted for days.
Butter was spread on the bread partly to keep the toppings such as pickled fish or cured meats, from soaking through too quickly, hence the name "butter bread."
In the 19th century this sandwich evolved and turned into a more elaborate affair. Chefs leaned into the presentation which became part of the experience. The practical sandwich evolved into a culinary tradition where balance, texture, and visual appeal mattered as much as flavor.
Today, a proper smørrebrød walks the line between rustic and refined.
Typically eaten for lunch or as a snack, the Danes eat their smørrebrød with a knife and fork rather than by hand, due to the elaborate toppings.
Now, get ready to release your inner artist and create and experience these stunning Danish open-faced sandwiches for yourself!
🥘 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make your beautiful open faced sandwiches:
Bread and Spreads
- Dense Danish rye bread - as of this writing, Trader Joe's has a Danish European Grains and Seeds Bread which is what I used and is a very good bread; you could also sub sourdough rye with visible seeds and a tight crumb (don't use soft sandwich rye or white bread which are not suitable)
- Salted butter -European-style butter is preferred (Danish if you can get it); I used Kerrygold spreadable Irish butter; if you are not using a "spreadable" butter, leave your butter out for a few minutes to soften it a bit
- Spreadable cheese (optional); if you'd like to add this Norwegian Snofrisk is a nice option, or you can use some spreadable cream cheese or goat cheese
Proteins
- Small shrimp - these should be cooked; I used 70-90 count shrimp/lb
- Smoked salmon - thin slices that you can drape in folds over the bread is lovely
- Hard-boiled eggs - carefully slice these thinly using a sharp knife
Fresh Ingredients: Vegetables and Lemon
- Lemon - you'll need a few very thin slices for the egg and shrimp sandwich, as well as some wedges for squeezing over your sandwiches when ready to enjoy
- Cucumber - sliced thinly and laid flat for some extra crunch!
- Radishes - I love using Easter Egg (colorful) radishes for Smørrebrød! as with the cucumber, these should be sliced very thinly and laid flat
- Tomato - if you can, find a colorful heirloom tomato for color contrast (I used a lovely yellow one I found at my local grocery store); deseed and remove extra moisture so as not to make the bread soggy
Garnishes
- Pickled red onion - adds acidity and brightness
- Microgreens - a sprinkling of these gives your sandwich the beautiful finishing touch!
🔪 Instructions
Use a sharp bread knife to cut your rye bread into slices about half an inch thick. Please note: you want your bread to be at room temperature. If you purchase Trader Joe's has a Danish European Grains and Seeds Bread, it is already sliced!
Spread a tablespoon of butter on each bread slice. If you like you can add more butter, as you want it to be fairly thick (i.e. don't skimp on the butter!)
If using, it's time to spread the cream cheese on top of the butter. Use about a tablespoon or more of cream cheese or Snofrisk, the Norwegian spreadable cheese that I used and recommend.
Assemble the Shrimp and Egg Sandwiches (2 slices)
Take two slices of the buttered bread and assemble each as follows. Add one sliced hard boiled egg, half the lemon slices, then 6 cooked shrimp. Garnish with ¼ of the microgreens. Repeat with the second slice of rye bread.
Assemble the Salmon and Vegetable Sandwiches (2 slices)
Take two slices of the buttered bread and assemble each as follows. Drape or lay a salmon slice on top of the bread. Next layer ½ of the cucumber slices, radish slices, and tomatoes, followed by pickled red onions and ¼ of the microgreens. Repeat with the second slice of bread.
Suggestions For Serving
It's time to enjoy your Smørrebrød!
Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over your sandwich if you like. And be sure to use your fork and knife, not your hands!
I suggest pairing it with a cold crisp Danish beer such as Carlsberg. An icy cold shot of aquavit or a crisp white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc would also pair well.
Danish open sandwiches are hearty enough on their own. However, if you'd like to round out your meal, a simple green salad is all you need.
Smørrebrød is best served immediately. However I have refrigerated it (gently wrapped in plastic wrap) for a couple of hours and was still able to enjoy it immensely!
FAQ
You should use a dense dark rye bread called rugbrød to make this sandwich. As of this writing, Trader Joe's has a Danish European Grains and Seeds Bread which is what I used and works great; you could also sub sourdough rye with visible seeds and a tight crumb (don't use soft sandwich rye)
Typical proteins used include pickled herring, smoked salmon, roast beef, shrimp, liver pate, and hard boiled eggs.
You can also consider using capers, fresh herbs such as fresh dill or chives, horseradish sauce, remoulade sauce, and mustard as garnishes for Smørrebrød. Edible flowers would also be a beautiful garnish!
1,000 Foods To Eat Project
Smørrebrød is listed in the book 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, by Mimi Sheraton. I am working my way through the foods listed in this book. This is called my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project. This beautiful Danish sandwich is food #88 in my project! Please visit the 1,000 Foods To Eat Project page to see some other MUST TRY foods of the world that you may love to try!
Some Other Foods That You Will Enjoy!
Here are some other foods that you will enjoy!
- Easy Caviar Appetizers
- Awesome Authentic Pub-Worthy Ploughman's Lunch Recipe For Real Cravings!
- Flaeskeaeggekage - Danish Bacon and Egg Pancake Recipe
Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food horizons! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.
Cheers!
Grace
Danish Open Faced Sandwich Recipe (Smørrebrød)
Equipment
- sharp bread knife used to slice your bread into slices about ½" thick
- butter knife
- sharp knife or mandoline this will help you to slice your vegetables thinly
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 4 slices dense rye bread also known as rugbrod; as of this writing, Trader Joe's has a Danish European Grains and Seeds Bread which is what I used and works great; you could also sub sourdough rye with visible seeds and a tight crumb (don't use soft sandwich rye)
- 4 tablespoon salted butter you want the butter to be cold, and European-style butter is preferred; I used Kerrygold spreadable Irish butter; if you are not using a "spreadable" butter, leave your butter out for a few minutes to soften it a bit
- 4 tablespoon spreadable cheese this is optional; if you'd like to add this Norwegian Snofrisk is a nice option, or you can use some spreadable cream cheese as well
Proteins
- 12 each small shrimp cooked; I used 70-90 count shrimp/lb
- 4 slices smoked salmon
- 2 each hard boiled eggs sliced into about 4 slices each
Fresh Vegetables and Lemon
- 6 slices lemon sliced very thinly (this is for the egg and shrimp sandwich)
- 8 slices cucumber sliced very thinly
- 12 slices radish sliced very thinly
- 6 slices tomato sliced very thinly and remove seeds and extra moisture so as not to make the bread soggy; I used a colorful yellow Heirloom tomato
Garnishes
- ⅛ cup pickled red onion
- ⅛ cup microgreens
Additional Ingredients (optional)
- ½ each lemon cut into 2 wedges
Instructions
- Use a sharp bread knife to cut your rye bread into slices about half an inch thick. Please note: you want your bread to be at room temperature. If you purchase Trader Joe's has a Danish European Grains and Seeds Bread, it is already sliced!
- Spread a tablespoon of butter on each slice of bread. If you like you can add more butter, as you want it to be fairly thick (i.e. don't skimp on the butter!)
- If using, it's time to spread the cream cheese on top of the butter. Use about a tablespoon or more of cream cheese or Snofrisk, the Norwegian spreadable cheese that I used and recommend.
Assemble the Shrimp and Egg Sandwiches (2 slices)
- Take two slices of the bread and assemble each as follows. Add one sliced hard boiled egg, half the lemon slices, then 6 cooked shrimp. Garnish each with ¼ of the microgreens. Repeat with the second slice.
Assemble the Salmon and Vegetable Sandwiches (2 slices)
- Take two slices of the bread and assemble each as follows. Drape or lay a salmon slice on top of the bread. Next layer ½ of the cucumber, radishes, and tomatoes, followed by pickled red onions and ¼ of the microgreens. Repeat with the second slice.
Serve Immediately!
- It's time to enjoy your Smørrebrød! Squeeze a bit of lemon over your sandwich if you like. And be sure to use your fork and knife, not your hands!
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