Salvadoran quesadillas (sometimes called sweet breads) are a rich and buttery cake or quick bread. They are traditionally made with rice flour and some dairy products, and baked in rectangular trays using brick ovens.
How to Find Them
You can find quesadillas sold by street vendors in many of the smaller towns in El Salvador. In larger cities, the market is the place to buy them.
They are usually sold in the mornings for a quick breakfast. This bread is a popular staple on Sunday mornings in many Salvadoran homes.
In El Salvador, quesadillas are made with the traditional Salvadoran cheese called hard soft cheese. This is a soft fresh cheese, with an autumnal appearance.
The Delicious Cream
Another important ingredient is Salvadoran cream. This cream is similar to crème fraîche. It is slightly less salty than sour cream. Its color is more yellowish. Sometimes found in Latin American stores, it can easily be replaced by regular sour cream.
Traditionally, the quesadilla dough is made the day before. Then the dough is left to rest overnight at room temperature. Today, many Salvadorans bake it the same day, without the resting time, and think the flavor is just as good.
The sweetness of quesadillas varies greatly, some people like it very sweet and others not so much. For our recipe, I used half a cup of sugar. This amount made the quesadilla sweet enough to contrast with the salty cheeses in the recipe.
Salvadoran quesadillas are one of the best-known and most popular desserts and breakfast cakes in El Salvador. Foreigners love them and often take them home to share with friends and family.
