Romanian Mosaic Bread

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Slice the French baguette lengthwise and carefully scoop out some of the soft interior, creating a shallow channel along the length of each half.

Finely chop the lean ham and pickled pepper. Drain the canned sardines and break them into small pieces, removing any visible bones.

Grate or thinly slice the Swiss cheese. Pit and roughly chop the black olives.

Soften the butter at room temperature, then mix it with the chopped ham, sardine pieces, grated cheese, and olives in a bowl until well combined.

Stir the pickled pepper into the mixture, then divide the filling evenly between the two baguette halves, pressing it gently into the channels and spreading it to the edges.

Brush the top of each filled baguette half lightly with milk to help achieve an even golden color during baking.

Place the filled baguette halves on a baking sheet and bake for 12–15 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the bread is heated through.

Remove from the oven and cool for 2–3 minutes before slicing crosswise into 4–6 pieces. Serve warm.