Puerto Rican Bread: From Salty to Sweet Temptation

If there’s something that takes an important place in the life and the tables of the Puerto Ricans, is definitely bread. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, a piece of bread is always welcomed to garnish any meal. If you ask most of the people who move outside the island what they miss the most, certainly bread will be on their Top 3.

While traveling in Puerto Rico, you will discover that almost every town has their own typical bread that is unique from others eaten in the island. This list is focused mainly on types of bread you can find all around the island. In Local Guest, we are conscious of what bread means to Puerto Ricans and this is why, as our visitor, we would love to make you part of the experience of discovering these types of bread while visiting the island.

Mallorcas

The story behind mallorcas is that they are a variation from the ensaimades, which are original from the island of Majorca, Spain (place from which they take their name from). Mallorcas are made from bread flour, yeast, milk, eggs sugar, and butter, which is the main difference between the mallorcas and the original ensaimadas, which are made out of pork lard.

The most famous place to try mallorcas is definitely La Bombonera in Old San Juan. This restaurant first opened in 1902 owned by Antonio Rigo, who originally hailed from Majorca, Spain bringing that recipe of the ensaimades from the place they were born. Isabel Obrador, granddaughter of the restaurant’s founder, reopened this restaurant, which remained closed for four years but it reopened in 2016 to regain its place. This is definitely a place you should not skip while visiting the island.

There are some other places where you should try their mallorcas such as La Catalana in Santurce, which is one of the biggest mallorca factories in the island and Ricomini in the West coast towns.

Pan Sobao

There’s no bread in Puerto Rico as popular as Pan Sobao. There are many urban legends on where did Pan Sobao was originated, but, it seems that Pan Sobao was born as a happy accident. Unlike the mallorcas, Pan Sobao contains lard on its mix. Legend says that the Cidres brothers from Los Cidrines bakery mixed up something in the recipe of the Lard Bread they sell and it ended up with the result we know today. The taste of this bread is sweet and also, it has a soft texture that makes it easy to slice it.

Pan Sobao is widely eaten all around the island and in Puerto Rican communities in the States. It is used in many recipes and definitely, is one of those things you must try while traveling around the island.

Pan de Agua

Pan de Agua or Pan Criollo is also one of the most popular breads in the island. This one can be considered a variation of French bread. Its long look might remind of baguette but it is softer and a bit sweeter. This might be the bread you will find the most around the island.

Pan de Hogaza

Pan de Hogaza or Loaf Bread was born from a recipe brought from Spain early in the 20th Century and started as we know it today in the town of Bayamón. What makes special the recipe of the Pan de Hogaza is the fact that it contains grains of anise. In Bayamón, you can find this bread being sold in carts around the main avenues with their traditional “chicharrón”. Pan de Hogaza is also sold in other bakeries around the island, but it is not as popular as pan sobao, pan de agua or mallorcas.

Pan de la Patita Echa

This bread has its origins in Panadería La Patria (Homeland Bakery) in the mountain town of Morovis, which is one of the oldest bakeries in Puerto Rico opened in 1862. Its name refers to “having the legs crossed” to the way the bread looks. This bread is made out of lard mostly.

From salty, to sweet, to aniseed flavored, bread is certainly part of the Puerto Rican experience.

Do you know any other type of Puerto Rican bread? Let us know in the comments!