Pain perdu – French sweet toast from stale bread Recipe
Pain perdu literally means “lost bread” – the French way of using up stale bread by turning it into sweet, soft toast. It’s a cousin of classic French toast, but made more simply at home, often with yesterday’s baguette. The perfect lazy weekend breakfast when you want something sweet without complicated baking.
A simple way to turn leftover stale bread into a fragrant, comforting breakfast or dessert with minimal effort and basic ingredients you usually have at home.
Chef's tips
Use bread that is at least a day old – it soaks up the egg mixture better and doesn’t fall apart. Don’t overcrowd the pan so the slices brown evenly. Adjust the sweetness to your taste and to how much syrup or honey you plan to add at the end.
How to serve
Serve the pain perdu warm, with seasonal fruit, a generous dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. You can also add a spoonful of thick yogurt, whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a more dessert-like version.
Ingredients
- wheat bread slightly stale, a baguette works well too - 6 slices
- egg size M - 2 piece
- milk any kind - 150 ml
- sugar for the egg mixture - 1.5 tablespoons
- vanillin sugar or a few drops of vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
- cinnamon optional - 0.5 teaspoons
- butter for frying - 20 g
- oil for frying, to keep the butter from burning - 1 tablespoon
- powdered sugar for dusting
- fresh fruit e.g. strawberries, banana, blueberries, for serving
- maple syrup or honey, for drizzling
Preparation
- In a wide bowl or deep plate, whisk the eggs with the milk, sugar, vanillin sugar and cinnamon until the mixture is smooth.
- Slice the bread so the pieces fit easily in the pan. If they are very hard, lightly sprinkle them with milk on both sides and let sit for 2–3 minutes.
- Heat the oil with the butter in a large pan over medium heat until the butter melts and starts to sizzle gently, but does not brown.
- Dip each slice of bread in the egg–milk mixture, letting it soak for a few seconds on each side so it absorbs well but doesn’t fall apart.
- Transfer the soaked slices to the pan and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden and slightly crisp on the edges while the center stays soft.
- Place the fried toasts on a plate lined with paper towel for a few seconds to remove excess fat.
- Serve immediately, dusted with powdered sugar, topped with your favorite fruit and drizzled with maple syrup or honey.
Storage
Usmażone tosty najlepiej smakują od razu, ale możesz je przechować w lodówce do następnego dnia i odgrzać na suchej patelni. Można je też zamrozić w woreczku, przekładając pergaminem, i odgrzewać w piekarniku lub tosterze.
This is one of those recipes that instantly brings a cozy, homey feeling. It’s perfect for using up leftover baguette or sandwich bread and turning it into something that feels like a small weekend celebration.
