The Best Types Of Bread, Crackers, and Spreads For Your Next Charcuterie Board

Bread and crackers and spreads, oh my. Bread and crackers and spreads, oh my! Do these three simple compliments to your charcuterie board have you in a panic?

Crackers and bread serve as the bitesize plates that fill a very, very important role--delivering the savory meat and cheese to your mouth. And don’t forget the spreadables that add a magical moistness to your specially selected products.

But with seemingly endless options of crackers and spreads on grocery store shelves and loaves of fancy bread lining bakery sections, how do you begin to choose which options to include? We’re here to help with some simple solutions such as baguettes, water crackers, fig spread, and honey.

Bread

Man (or woman) cannot eat charcuterie alone. Bread and crackers will add the stability you need to every bite. These simple transporters will enable your guests to transfer all of your yummy ingredients to their tummies. But you don’t need to feel like you have to offer the bakery alongside your board. One or two options of bread, along with some crackers, will be plenty.

Choose a bread that is not loaded with strong flavors, cheese, or herbs. Those flavors will compete with the flavor of the meats, and let’s be real, who wants that to happen after you’ve dedicated time and money into choosing quality products?

Try serving baguettes—long, narrow loaves of French bread with a crisp crust. Sliced baguettes are perfect as a base for layering and can be served either toasted or untoasted.

Crackers

You’ve seen us mention about offering variety in charcuterie, and there’s surely no shortage of variety in the cracker aisle. Crackers come in different shapes (rounds, rectangles… we’ve even seen butterflies), flavors, and colors. Wheat, white, gluten free, you name it.

Offer a couple of different options, but as with the bread, choose crackers without a huge amount of flavor, herbs, etc. so that they don’t detract from the other charcuterie.

Try offering a buttery, flaky cracker (such as Ritz) and a grain cracker (such as Triscuit) along with your bread. Water crackers are also virtually flavorless, allowing your other charcuterie flavors to shine. Then arrange them in fun ways--some stacked, some on their side, and some fanned out.

Spreadables

Break out the cute little jars and ramekins! It’s time to add something moist to the platter. Dips and jams or preserves will balance out your salty and dry meats and cheeses.

Consider offering some fig spread or apricot jam, as they pair divinely with many different charcuterie eats. Stone ground mustard, hummus, and honey are also popular attractions on a charcuterie board. Choose one or two that you think will most appeal to the crowd you’re serving. And if they have more of a sweet tooth, you can also add some chocolate fondue to pair with your fresh fruit for dipping.

If your spreadables come packaged in little jars, simply place them right on your board with a small spreader or spoon. And if you need to transfer them, any small jar or ramekin will do.

Nothin’ Left To It But To Do It

In the past, we’ve walked you through a brief history of charcuterie, the main components of a charcuterie board, crowd-pleasing meats, must-have cheeses, and popular produce picks. Now that you’ve learned about the types of bread, crackers, and spreadables that are best to include, all that’s left is grocery shopping and purchasing a great board that you can use for years to come.

Believe us, once you try your hand at making a charcuterie board, you won’t be able to stop! It's an absolutely perfect (delicious AND easy) way for you to express your creativity. Is there anything better?

Shop our beautifully handcrafted, custom-styled serving boards today to find the perfect canvas for your next charcuterie masterpiece!