Upgrade Your Breakfast Sandwich With One Easy Bread Swap
Breakfast sandwiches are, in part, so delicious thanks to the bread used to construct them. There are buttery biscuits that are packed with rich, flaky goodness as well as toasty bagels with a soft interior when you bite into them. And, of course, there's always the classic English muffin.
Rather than sticking to the status quo and making your breakfast sandwiches with one of these picks, however, there's a simple bread swap you can make that also enhances the taste of your morning meal — pita bread.
Pita bread has a light flavor that pairs well with just about any ingredients you might add to your sandwich. Plus, pita bread traditionally has a pocket that makes it perfect for stuffing with all your favorite breakfast fillings. Because of its shape, it's less likely to ooze ingredients and sauces. It is also often bigger than your standard English muffin or bagel, making it ideal for those who like a hearty breakfast.
Why pita works so well for a breakfast sandwich
One of the first reasons why pita bread works for breakfast sandwiches has to do with the way the bread is made. Traditional pita is baked at very high temperatures, ideally in ovens that can reach around 700 degrees Fahrenheit. During the cooking process, steam is created within the dough, which causes the bread to have a hollow center. This hollow center makes the pita ideal for accommodating all your favorite breakfast fillings, whether that includes eggs and cheese, veggies, or proteins like bacon or sausage.
Beyond the shape, the texture of pita bread is also ideal for breakfast sandwiches. The exterior of the bread is tough, which helps it stand up to sauces and juicier ingredients. At the same time, it's not overly hard, giving your sandwich a pleasant, chewy texture that won't break your jaw.
Finally, this type of bread has a neutral, floury taste that pairs well with spicy, sweet, savory, and everything in between. This means that your stuffed pita pockets allow plenty of room for creativity. You don't even have to stick to traditional breakfast flavors — egg and cheese or sausage and egg can work well, but you could also go with grilled chicken, vegetarian scrambled tofu, or any other filling you like without worrying about the flavors not pairing with your bread.
Can you swap pita bread for another type of flatbread?
If you've ever shopped for pita bread, you may have found it laid out next to other types of flatbread. For starters, there's naan. If you don't know what naan is, it's an Indian leavened flatbread. It looks similar to pita bread at first glance, but it has a softer texture and doesn't have the signature pocket of pita bread. It can work as a tasty option for a breakfast sandwich, but you may have to use two slices instead of stuffing it. Plus, the softer texture may not hold up to hot sauces, spreads, and other runny ingredients you add to your sandwich.
Other great flatbreads to consider include roti, chapati, or lavash. These options more closely resemble Mexican tortillas and are thin and flexible. So, while they might not work for a pita-style breakfast sandwich, they can be ideal if you want to make a breakfast wrap with a bit of a twist. At the end of the day, the sky is the limit when it comes to swapping out the bread you use for a breakfast sandwich. However, pita is a great mess-free, easy-to-stuff, and versatile option if you're looking to make a quick adjustment to the way you start your morning.