Ever since bread was first invented, humans have been regenerating stale, rock-hard bread into edible food. But the recipe that has become irrevocably ingrained in American breakfast culture is French toast.
Based on the French “pain perdu” or lost bread, French toast is traditionally made by softening old leftover slices in a milk and egg mixture and frying them until golden and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Masu.
This dish may have originally been a way to save stale bread, but it was far from frugal, requiring expensive milk, eggs, and butter. Alan Davidson, in The Oxford Food Companion, writes that French toast is symbolically represented as a way to use up stale bread, but its expensive ingredients mean that French toast is “more frequently used as a delicacy.” The author writes that this suggests that the government was regarded as
Mr. Davidson’s list of historical variations includes Apicius’ ancient Roman example (using wine and honey). An Anglo-Norman cousin (served with almond milk). and the Spanish relation torrijas (garnished with syrup and cinnamon). I’ve seen (and created) modern iterations that include peanut butter and condensed milk, streusel crumbs and pears, and pumpkin spice and pecans.
But no matter how many fancy ingredients you splurge on for French toast, the best version is still bread that’s a few days old, or at least oven-dried or toasted (which adds some grilled flavor). It is made from. Spongy fresh bread dilutes the egg mixture with its moisture, while dry bread absorbs the custard better, leaving it voluptuous and fluffy. Soaking dry bread may take some time, but it’s worth the wait. Assembling everything the day before and putting it in the fridge overnight will ensure maximum absorption and make your mornings easier.
Most classic recipes call for frying the soaked slices, but I stopped doing that years ago. Why stand over the stove and fry soggy bread in a caffeine-depleted state when the oven can do all the work for you? Plus, it’s easy to throw bacon in the pot and cook at the same time while the oven is on. Even if you bake it, you will not get a crispy fried dough. Sprinkle with sugar and it will caramelize and become crunchy as it bakes.
These two new recipes apply sugar in different ways, yielding unique but equally delicious results. These were created for my YouTube cooking show “Shortcut vs. Showstopper” where he demonstrates his two versions of the classic recipe. One is simple but attractive, and the other is a more complex variation designed to bring maximum surprise.
Simple French toast is baked on a baking sheet, with slices of bread soaked in water and placed on top of a layer of brown sugar and butter. As the bread bakes, the sugar turns into a shiny, candy-like crust, and when you cut into it with a fork, a soft center filled with vanilla crackles.
The featured version, inspired by a cloud-like soufflé, has lemon-scented sugar sprinkled on top. During baking, the sugar burns and darkens in spots, and the bread rises and turns golden brown. This is the most elegant brunch dish, combining bread pudding with a luxurious soufflé.
Both recipes are perfect for Mother’s Day.
The type of bread you should start with depends on the texture you’re looking for. Egg-filled bread, like challah, forms a soft, firm crumb that becomes crunchy. Open-textured breads like brioche and croissants let in more air, making them lighter and fluffier. Regular hard white bread (pain de mie) holds its shape and stays very moist after cooking, while hard breads like sourdough or baguette retain a pleasant and satisfying chew.
The possibilities are endless. In fact, the dish’s flexibility may be the secret to its preserving power. With basic ingredients that can be adjusted to suit your mood and make it interesting every time, it’s no wonder French He Toast never gets stale.
