French Toast (Pain Perdu)
Bread soaked in egg and milk and fried golden in butter — a breakfast staple worldwide. Just bread, eggs, and milk, done in one pan in 10 minutes. The French call it ''pain perdu.''
Ingredients
- Sandwich bread (or baguette) · thick-cut4 slices
- Eggs2
- Milk120 ml
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Vanilla extract · optional0.5 tsp
- Ground cinnamon · optional1 pinch
- Salt1 pinch
- Butter · for the pan1 tbsp
- Maple syrup1 to serve
- Powdered sugar · optional1 to taste
Steps
- ⏲ 1 min
In a wide bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until the sugar dissolves.
- ⏲ 1 min
Dip the bread in the custard, coating both sides. For thick bread, soak 10–20 seconds so the center absorbs it (don't oversoak or it goes mushy).
- ⏲ 1 min
Heat a pan over medium-low and melt the butter.
- ⏲ 3 min
Lay in the bread and cook until the underside is golden, 2–3 minutes.
- ⏲ 3 min
Flip and cook the other side until golden, another 2–3 minutes.
Plate, top with a pat of butter, and drizzle with maple syrup. Dust with powdered sugar or add fruit, and serve warm.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- Brioche or baguette: Thick, rich bread gives the best crisp-outside, custardy-inside texture.
- Fruit & cream: Top with strawberries, banana, and whipped cream for a dessert.
- Savory: Skip the sugar and serve with cheese and ham as a meal.
- Overnight: Soak the bread the night before and just fry it in the morning.
Tips
- Medium-low heat cooks the center through without burning the outside.
- Dissolve the sugar fully into the custard for even, golden browning.
- Slightly stale bread soaks up the custard better and fries up nicer.
- If the butter starts to brown, lower the heat and wipe the pan between batches.
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