#EGGY FRENCH TOAST PLUS#

They are both the best kinds to use as they are so much lighter. Instead he uses more fluffy white bread like pain de mie which is unsliced bread for slicing. For example, Laurent, our baker, uses any unsold baguette sticks at the end of the day not for this recipe but for a charity association. While using a day-old baguette is good at home, it's not the kind of bread that's used in bakeries and restaurants serving pain perdu in France.

See the fun facts below for much more on French toast.īest bread: baguette stick, fluffy brioche (left) and a 'pain de mie' white loaf (right) Best Kind of Bread to Use for Pain Perdu He brought the original basic dish for the poor to use up old bread into something a bit more aristocratic in France. Henry IV, who was French king (1589-1610) was a particular fan of Pain Perdu. It wasn't until the 17th century that the sweet recipe version of French toast arrived as we know it better today. So French toast was known as ' pain romain' in France, meaning Roman bread. 25 BC to 37 AC), first mentions a recipe (' De re coquinaria', meaning 'Culinary Art') using the same ingredients of using up old bread dipped in milk and honey then fried in oil. The Roman author, Marcus Gavius Apicius (approx. Did French Toast Originate in France?īefore the French name, pain perdu was used in France between the 14th-15th century, it actually originated from the Romans. Not only is fresh French bread central to our culture here from our boulangeries or bakeries, it is the utmost priority to save good bread from being lost or wasted. So not to be lost, it's an easy recipe that has been around for centuries - since at least the Romans in the 1st century - in the combat of avoiding food waste.

'Lost Bread' refers to the time-old method of reviving fresh bread that has gone slightly stale a day or two later. The meaning for Pain Perdu is literally translated as 'lost bread' in English. So, how do you order the French version of French toast or recognise it on the menu? It's simply known in French as pain perdu (pronounced 'pang pear-doo'.)Īs it's seen as a dessert, this explains why certain smaller French hotels are unlikely to have it on their breakfast menu. It's often seen on dessert menus around Paris in brasseries and bistros.

#EGGY FRENCH TOAST PLUS#

While French toast is usually served for breakfast or brunch in America, plus eggy bread in the UK - in France it is usually served for dessert. What is the French Version of French Toast?

Eggy french toast