Brazilian Pão na Chapa, Griddled Buttered Bread Rolls

📍 Where this dish comes from: São Paulo · Mercado Municipal
Discover the history of this region →

Pão na chapa is the simplest and most beloved breakfast in any São Paulo padaria: a split bread roll pressed onto a hot griddle with plenty of butter until the cut side is crisp and golden. It is usually served with a milky coffee and eaten right at the counter. These almond flour rolls have a soft, airy crumb and a crackly crust that stands up beautifully to the griddle.

Per serving: 230 calories · 3.6 g net carbs · 7 g protein · 19 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Brazilian Pão na Chapa, Griddled Buttered Bread Rolls

Pão na chapa is the simplest and most beloved breakfast in any São Paulo padaria: a split bread roll pressed onto a hot griddle with plenty of butter until the cut side is crisp and golden. It is usually served with a milky coffee and eaten right at the counter. These almond flour rolls have a soft, airy crumb and a crackly crust that stands up beautifully to the griddle.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Brazilian

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 230kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
• 5 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons white or cider vinegar
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons salted butter softened, for the griddle

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder and salt.
• Add the vinegar and egg whites and stir until combined. Pour in the boiling water and mix for about 30 seconds until the dough firms up and feels like soft play dough.
• With wet hands, shape the dough into 6 oval rolls and place them on the baking sheet, leaving space between them. Use a sharp knife to cut a shallow slit along the top of each one.
• Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the rolls sound hollow when tapped underneath. Let them cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes.
• To serve, split each roll in half and spread the cut sides generously with butter. Press them butter-side down onto a hot griddle or skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp and deep golden. Serve hot.

Notes

Psyllium powder is what gives these rolls their bread-like chew, so use a finely ground powder rather than whole husks. Some brands turn the crumb slightly purple; it is harmless and does not affect the flavor. The rolls keep for 3 days in a sealed container and griddle beautifully straight from the fridge.

Chef's Tip: Press the roll down with a spatula for the first 30 seconds on the griddle. Good contact is what gives padaria-style pão na chapa its flat, glassy, buttery crust.

Keto Swap: The classic pão francês is made from white wheat flour and carries around 28 grams of net carbs per roll. Almond flour and psyllium bring each roll down to a few grams while keeping a real crust and an open crumb.

Success Tip: Set out requeijão, sliced cheese and ham so everyone can dress their own roll, and serve with a strong café com leite made with cream.

Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 230kcal | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Fiber: 7.9g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About This Dish

The pão francês, or French bread, is the everyday roll of Brazil, even though it is a Brazilian creation and looks little like a French baguette. Padarias across São Paulo bake fresh batches several times a day, and many people buy them warm by the bag every morning. Pão na chapa is a standard item on padaria menus, usually ordered with a média, a large coffee with milk. The griddle, or chapa, is the same flat-top that cooks eggs and sandwiches all day long. For many Paulistanos, a buttered roll and coffee at the counter is the taste of an ordinary weekday morning.

This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 1: Breakfast (Mercado Municipal). See all Brazilian recipes