One Simple Mistake Is The Culprit Of Soggy Pinwheel Sandwiches

Why would you ever settle for a regular sandwich when it could be a pinwheel? These rolled up, sliced sandwiches bring a fun, retro vibe to your lunchbox, and they can liven up any snack platter or Super Bowl spread. In short, we think pinwheels are anything but dumb. They're not entirely foolproof, however. Since pinwheels are often not eaten right away, it's imperative to make sure that the bread doesn't get soggy. The biggest culprit? Skipping out on spreading a layer of filling on the inside of the bread.

Even though most breads used for pinwheels are pretty dense, like wraps and tortillas, they can still absorb a lot of moisture from the sandwich ingredients, especially if you overstuff them. A thin barrier of mayonnaise, hummus, spreadable cheese, or anything with a good amount of oil will fend off some of the water that tends to leak out of veggies like tomatoes and lettuce.

All toppings are not created equal if you're aiming to prevent soggy pinwheels. Ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, vinaigrettes, hot sauce, and sriracha (which is sort of both a hot sauce and a condiment) are all fairly watery ingredients that will be absorbed into the bread as soon as the sandwich is wrapped. That's no reason to avoid a slather of spicy brown mustard or a dollop of spicy ketchup, however. If your condiment of choice doesn't already contain a lot of oil, like store-bought Caesar dressing, just mix any watery toppings with something oily to get the same effect.

Mayonnaise is the king of sandwich condiments for a reason — it tastes good and keeps the bread from getting soggy. Plus, you can mix almost any other condiment with mayo to get the perfect pinwheel spread. Not everyone loves mayonnaise, however, so if you fall into that camp, try spreading a protective layer of high-quality, single-sourced olive oil or avocado oil on the bread before you fill your sandwich. Just don't overfill it. If you add herbs and spices to the mix, you'll get a little extra flavor at the same time. Just spread the oil on the bread before you pile in any other ingredients, and you'll create a waterproof barrier that'll keep your sandwich bread dry for a few hours — or at least until lunchtime.