Why This Recipe Works

The biggest challenge when building this classic American sandwich is balance. A bulletproof construction blueprint helped us stack the components thoughtfully—meaning that each bite included salty bacon, crunchy lettuce, and sweet tomatoes. Doctoring up mayonnaise with some basil and lemon juice both boosted the overall flavor of the sandwich and helped glue it all together. On either end, we discovered that toasted potato bread was the best option.

Before You Begin

Buy the best tomatoes you can find that are about 2 inches in diameter. If your tomatoes happen to be larger, use only two or three slices per sandwich. Since broiler outputs vary, keep an eye on the toast in step 3. You may need more than one package to get 16 slices of bacon. Do not use thick-cut bacon in this recipe.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bacon in single layer on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet, overlapping slightly as needed to fit. Bake until bacon is deeply browned and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate; discard bacon fat and foil. Heat broiler.

Meanwhile, core tomatoes and cut into 16 (1/4-inch-thick) slices (you may have some left over). Whisk oil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in shallow dish. Add tomatoes; turn gently to coat with vinaigrette. Whisk mayonnaise, basil, lemon juice, and cayenne together in bowl.

Arrange bread on now-empty sheet. Broil until lightly browned on 1 side only, 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer bread, toasted side down, to cutting board. Spread basil mayonnaise evenly on untoasted sides of bread (use all of it). Break bacon slices in half. Shingle 4 bacon halves on each of 4 bread slices, followed by 2 lettuce leaves, 4 tomato slices, 2 more lettuce leaves, and 4 more bacon halves. Top each sandwich with 1 of 4 remaining bread slices, mayonnaise side down. Cut sandwiches in half, corner to corner. Serve.