The bagel’s sweeter cousin deserves some time in the sandwich spotlight.
On the 3rd Hour of TODAY Aug. 15, Al Roker shared a breakfast sandwich idea that left his co-anchors scratching their heads. After seeing NBC News correspondent Jesse Kirsch with a sweet treat from Dunkin’, the legendary weatherman, avid culinary whiz, Trader Joe’s aficionado and (usual) healthy eater suggested combining savory with a little sugar.
“You know what’s a great breakfast sandwich?” Al said to Shenielle Jones and Dylan Dreyer. “A couple of glazed doughnuts with a fried egg and some bacon.”
“Is that a thing?” Sheinelle asked, incredulously, while Dylan emphatically declared, “No!”
Undeterred, Al soldiers on, pontificating the height of breakfast deliciousness.
“I’m making it a thing! Sweet, salty — kind of like a McGriddle!” Al noted.
“I know, I guess I get the flavors but that’s kind of a lot,” Dylan responded, not quite getting on the doughnut sammy train. “I can’t remember the last time I had fast food.”
To Dylan, Shenielle and anyone else who hasn’t tried the oddly decadent combination of a doughnut with a fried egg: I get it. It sounds weird, at least at first. But, I am here to tell you, as someone who not only eats, but lives, breathes and writes about food: The doughnut sandwich is truly a culinary marvel.
To nerd out for a second, the reason sweet and salty flavors go so well together is actually scientific. Crushed pretzels in ice cream, fries in your Wendy’s Frosty and doughnuts paired with eggs and bacon taste so neat together because of the unique way the tongue is able to comprehend sweet and salty flavors.
In 2018, research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that there are sweet receptors on the tongue that only activate when salt is present. Some smart folk theorize this is why sugar is enhanced in the presence of salt, making your salted caramel cookie dough bars taste out of this world.
What Al suggests is almost what I do at home — except I prefer mine with a slice of American cheese — and maybe sausage instead of bacon — on top of the egg before placing it between a sliced-in-half doughnut lightly toasted in a skillet with a bit of butter. While Al says to put the egg between two doughnuts, I personally find that’s too much doughnut and not enough egg.
But I refuse to yuck anyone else’s yum — even when KFC put a fried chicken breast between two glazed doughnuts in 2019 to both rave and horrified reviews.
As much as he is a culinary visionary, Al is not the first person to conceive of such a sandwich. In fact, in 2013, Dunkin’ — before it dropped the “Donuts” — tested a Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich, which featured bacon and a pepper fried egg on a glazed, yeasted doughnut. And Al actually tried it at the time — 10 years ago.
Al said, after taking a bite, “I think it’s got potential.”
