The perfect PBJ should consist of a thick layer of crunchy Jif, a thinner layer of Welch’s grape jelly, and plain ol’ white bread like you buy in the grocery store (e.g. Lumberjack, Hillbilly, or Wonder brand bread come notably to mind).
I can see that Wonder Bread or the equivalent makes the archetypal PBJ, but there’s a difference between that and “best”. I’d argue that one of those nine-grain breads with bits of sunflower seeds and the like is the best bread for a PBJ.
No.
I pretty much agree. Plain white bread. My preference is toasted, but only if you’re eating it immediately. Creamy peanut butter. Grape jelly. (I’m not brand loyal on either. If forced, I’d go with Jif–based on my latest taste test of peanut butters inspired by the last thread–and Welch’s) I leave the crust on. Slice in a diagonal.
Yes, it’s the archetypal one, but it’s also what I want when I crave PB&J. I don’t want any gussied up version. IT’s like when I want a grilled cheese, I want Wonder-type bread and Kraft (or similar) type American cheese on it. Deli slices instead of singles is as fancy as I want to get. Don’t give me this sourdough with gruyere crap.
Got to be Strawberry Jam or Preserves for me.
On lightly toasted bread, because peanut butter is easier to spread on warm toast
White bread
Creamy Jiff, Skippy or Peter Pan
Jam - grape or raspberry
Jam is better than jelly - I’m not talking preserves with big hunks (blech), jam has more flavor.
And please NO BUTTER. My mom would put butter then the peanut butter. I shudder when I think of it.
Also, I like my PBJ open-faced.
Yeah, let me walk back my ideal sandwich a little bit. Instead of Welch’s grape jelly, I’ll go with Smuckers Concord Grape jam.
I could see jam over jelly, but preserves with big hunks of fruit are right out. The capacity to spread a topping uniformly is, after all, a big consideration here.
Sorry, but you are wrong. 
Bread should either be double fiber or should contain seeds/nuts.
PB should be Suckers natural crunchy - no ingredients other than peanuts.
Blueberry J.
To establish my bona fides, I’ve been eating a PBJ probably 99.5% of my days at work for the past 35 years.
By conservative estimate, that is at least 7000 PBJs.
Anyone got more?
The above combination has been my standard for the past 5-10 years.
As far as my PB&J fandom goes, I have always enjoyed wheat bread, creamy peanut butter and either apricot, peach or strawberry preserves.
Grilled cheese… I’m partial to the white bread/american cheese standard, but I have to admit that sourdough and cheddar works amazingly well too.
A perfect PB&J (it’s NOT PBJ!) is made with either plain white bread (how else do you get that lovely stuck to the roof of the mouth bite!??) or a good whole grain wheat bread. It has creamy peanut butter (chunky is ok, but it just messes with the texture of the sandwich), brand isn’t really important, though I prefer either Skippy from childhood or Jif, which I use now. And it has Pinapple-Apricot PRESERVES from Smucker’s, or that most heavenly of spreads, Cherry preserves. Why would anyone not want real fruit in their sandwich???
I do have to admit that grape jelly in the sandwich hearkens back to the classic days of yore. It’s like quintessential. Strawberry preserves are best for toasted PB&Js.
Ok, I’m hungry.
Bread: corn
Peanut butter: Skippy Super Chunk
Jelly: calve’s foot
Just kidding. The bread should be Hawaiian Sweet, toasted, and the jelly should be preserves (apricot for preference, but strawberry is acceptable).
The PB still needs to be Skippy Super Chunk, though.
Boy, did I mis-read this thread title!
I need to scan the thread topics with glasses on. This thread is NOT what I thought it would be.
For the record: Wonderbread, Jif peanut butter, Smuckers strawberry jelly. Perfection. But I’d prefer a fluffer-nutter any day to a PBJ.
When I was a kid, my mother would butter the bread. I hated it then and would complain but that’s how she made them.
Mmm, cornbread and calves foot jelly!
I don’t mind white bread (though I prefer the nut wheat stuff) but at least use good white bread.
White bread.
Crunchy Jif.
Preferably grape jelly but strawberry will do in a pinch.
My only twist is that I like to put the PB on *both *slices of bread, and the jelly in the middle. That way you can lift it to your mouth with either side on top and get the same experience.
… and salt!
I just toasted up a Bays English muffin and spread some Smuckers Natural Creamy peanut butter and Meijer Strawberry Jam on it. Very delicious. Not my ideal PB&J, but fantastic nonetheless.
In both cases, though, even a bad one is still pretty good!
The perfect PB&J can only be made by a mom. Preferably my mom, but I suspect other moms are pretty great at it too. Probably some dads as well.
But whatever method I try, it’s never as good as when someone else makes it, preferably my mom.
I made a peanut butter sandwich not long ago, and all we had in the house was “Texas Toast” style bread. It was actually awesome. Ever tried it? It’s just regular white bread, but sliced super thick.