Pan Bagnat — The Pressed Niçoise Picnic Loaf

Ingredients

• 1 large round country loaf (about 800g–1kg, sourdough or pain de campagne)
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 fat garlic clove, halved
• flaky salt and black pepper
• 2 x 160g tins good tuna in olive oil, drained
• 4 large eggs, hard-boiled
• 8 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
• 100g black Niçoise or Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 2 tbsp baby capers, drained
• 3 ripe vine tomatoes (about 300g)
• 1 small cucumber (about 200g)
• 1 small red onion
• 1 small red pepper (optional, traditional)
• 30g fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for the layers)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (for the layers)

Method

1. Hard-boil the eggs first so they have time to cool. Lower them into already-boiling water and cook for 9 minutes — that gives a fully set yolk that won't smear into the bread overnight. Drain, crack the shells all over, and sit them in cold water until cool, then peel and slice into rounds.
2. Slice the tomatoes about 5mm thick and lay them on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Season them generously with flaky salt and leave for 10 minutes — pan bagnat lives or dies on tomato wetness, and you want the juices drawn out onto the paper, not soaking through your loaf by morning.
3. Slice the cucumber thinly, the red onion into fine half-moons, and the red pepper (if using) into thin strips. Tear the basil leaves at the last minute so they don't blacken.
4. Slice the top third off the loaf like a lid — keep it intact. Pull out the soft inside crumb from both halves, leaving a wall about 1.5cm thick all round. You want a sturdy bread shell that won't collapse under pressure; save the crumb for breadcrumbs another day.
5. Rub the cut garlic clove all over the inside of both halves — the rough crumb acts like a grater and you'll smell it instantly. No heat here means no risk of burning, just raw garlic perfume soaking into the bread. Whisk the 4 tbsp olive oil with the 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and a good pinch of salt, then drizzle generously over the inside of both halves. The bread should look damp but not waterlogged — that splash of vinegar is what cuts the richness of the tuna and anchovy once everything has pressed together overnight.
6. Now layer, pressing each layer down firmly as you go. Start with the tomatoes on the base (their job is to feed flavour upward, not pool at the bottom). Then cucumber, then red onion, then red pepper if using. Scatter half the basil.
7. Flake the tuna across the next layer and press down. Lay the egg slices over the tuna, then drape the anchovies in a rough lattice — they bring most of the salt the sandwich needs, so taste a sliver of anchovy first and adjust your seasoning from there. Scatter the olives, capers and remaining basil. Drizzle the extra 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar over the top with a generous crack of black pepper. Taste a corner of tomato with a flake of tuna — season now, not at the picnic.
8. Press the lid on firmly. Wrap the whole loaf tightly in two layers of cling film, then again in foil — tight is the operative word, you want it bandaged, not parcelled.
9. Sit the wrapped loaf on a plate in the fridge and weight it down with something heavy and flat — a chopping board topped with a couple of tins, or a heavy cast-iron pan. Press for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight. The pressing is the whole point: it forces the dressing into the crumb and compacts the layers into something you can slice cleanly. The vinegar in the dressing is doing the acid work here — no finishing squeeze needed once it's pressed.
10. To serve, unwrap at the picnic (or just before leaving) and slice into thick wedges with a serrated knife — saw, don't crush. Plate the wedges on a board, scatter the extra basil leaves over the cut faces, tuck the cornichons and buttered radishes alongside, and pour the rosé.