Pastry’s Savory Side

I’m an undeniable fan of sweet stuffed pastries, like the fantastic guava-queso turnovers mentioned in my recent story on La Segunda Bakery or Trader Joe’s successful take on pain au chocolat via its proof-and-bake Chocolate Croissants (the surfer king of store brands is also making a name for itself in Kouigns Amann, also a prime vehicle for morning chocolate).

But a piece in yesterday’s local paper reminded me of how much I adore the savory side of pastry, and the promise it could hold for various aspects of bakery (see “Breakfast with Ina: Ambrosia, Bittersweet, Floriole”).

In the article, Ina Pinkney—the breakfast queen of Chicago—explored savory breakfast pastries, and the savory stuffed croissants from Ambrosia particularly caught my attention: smoked salmon with cream cheese and red onion, seasoned spinach, roasted red bell pepper and feta, or ham and Swiss. These ideas will soon see experimentation in my kitchen.

The angle here is breakfast convenience—from the freezer case, deli counter, QSR drive-thru, etc. Stuffing the pastries—instead of using them as the basis of a sliced sandwich—is important in terms of portability and relative neatness for snacking on-the-go. And the diversified revenue this could generate for traditionally sweet bakers would certainly help.