Why do the French call French toast pain perdu?

A staple food in France, French toast is named “Pain perdu” which translates literally to lost bread, reflecting the use of stale bread so it doesn't get “lost”. These slices of breads dunked in an eggy mixture and toasted in a pan are comforting, sweet and tender – and a breeze to make at home.

What type of bread is pain perdu made from?

Originally from New Orleans, pain perdu is made using thick slices of French bread soaked in a sweet custard batter. It's lightly cooked in a pan first, then baked 'til golden brown.

What do the British call French toast?

Around the world French toast has many different names and people enjoy it in many different ways. The British call French toast eggy bread, gypsy bread or french-fried bread and sometimes serve it with ketchup.

What's the difference between eggy bread and French toast?

What's the difference between French toast and eggy bread? In general, French Toast tends to be sweet and eggy bread is more savoury . With French toast, you might have cinnamon, syrup and berries, whereas eggy bread is more likely to be paired with bacon or a fried egg. However, French toast can also be savoury.

What does pain perdu mean in English?

le pain perdu : French toast, eggy bread nom masculin. Literally, « le pain perdu » means « lost bread ». The bread needs to be a few days old for the recipe to work well.

What is French toast called in America?

Alternative names and variants include eggy bread, Bombay toast, gypsy toast, and poor knights (of Windsor) . When French toast is served as a sweet dish, sugar, vanilla, or cinnamon are also commonly added before pan-frying, and then it may be topped with sugar (often powdered sugar), butter, fruit, or syrup.

Why is French bread called pain?

Pain is the French word for "bread" , and la mie is the soft part of bread, called the crumb in English. Two loaves of pain de mie.

What does the French term pain perdu literally mean?

Literally, « le pain perdu » means « lost bread ». The bread needs to be a few days old for the recipe to work well.

What is the history of pain perdu?

In an old English cookbook from about 1430, we find a recipe for bread that's sliced, dipped in eggs, fried in butter and then sprinkled with a little bit of sugar. The name of this recipe was payn perdu, a French word that means lost bread or wasted bread , suggesting that this recipe was meant to use up stale bread.

How did French toast get the name French toast?

So, how did the dish we know get the name “French toast”? We don't know for sure, but a popular explanation says this name originated in the American colonies in 1724 . The story goes that an innkeeper named Joseph French replicated a recipe for bread soaked in eggs and milk and then fried.

Darjeeling Tea Pain Perdu with Condensed Milk Butter Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Fry

by: Aliwaks

February11,2013

4.5

2 Ratings

Darjeeling Tea Pain Perdu with Condensed Milk Butter Recipe on Food52 (1)

Prep time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Serves 2

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Way back in 1978, my mother took my brother and me on an enormous adventure. We spent the summer months on a commune in Pune, India. Not to go too far into our family dynamics, but suffice it to say that my brother (5 yrs old) and I (8 yrs old) learned a lot about being independent while we explored our new world. We both developed a taste for mango ice cream, naan, and grilled corn but our days almost always began with thick sliced toast that I grilled for us on a Franklin stove located on the veranda and a mug of very strong tea (made from water boiled on that same stove), both of which we would generously lace with sweetened condensed milk. Thus fortified, we would head out to the Ashram to see what trouble we could avoid getting ourselves into. To this whenever I think of India, I can taste the slightly burned edges of toast and sweet, sticky condensed milk. I can feel the edge of a tin cup filled with sweet sweet fragrant milky tea. So I came up with this recipe. It mirrors the tastes and smells of those early mornings, just me and my brother getting ourselves ready to face the day's adventures. To read a bit more about our adventures, click here: http://waksingpoetic.com/2012/02/06/condensed-milk/ —Aliwaks

Test Kitchen Notes

This is very delicious French toast. The tea flavor was mild but noticeable, the sugar crisped up nicely while frying, and I liked the condensed milk butter very much -- I will definitely be making it again for other treats. The substantial soak time gives each slice that soft, custardy texture without any mushiness. Next time, I'll cut the sugar a bit and add some extra tea into the condensed milk butter. This makes the perfect decadent weekend breakfast. —Omeletta

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

For the condensed milk butter
4 ouncessweet (unsalted) butter, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
¹/₄ cuppowdered sugar
2 teaspoonsflaky salt

For the Darjeeling tea pain perdu
4 1-inch thick slices day old brioche
1 ¹/₂ cupsheavy cream
4 bags Darjeeling tea, or 4 tablespoons tea leaves
1 split vanilla bean
2 tablespoonshoney
4 eggs
1 pinchsalt
¹/₄ cupraw sugar
3 tablespoonsclarified butter or ghee

Directions

For the condensed milk butter
Beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a standing mixer on high, until creamy and light.
With mixer running, slowly pour in condensed milk to incorporate.
Turn off mixer and fold in salt.
The butter will keep for a few days in the fridge.

For the Darjeeling tea pain perdu
Combine cream, vanilla bean, tea, and honey in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and let simmer 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit at least 1 hour. Strain and cool. (You can do this a day ahead.)
Whisk eggs with salt. Whisk cooled cream into eggs slowly.
Dip bread into cream/egg mixture and set in baking dish, letting everything soak in well.
Pour remaining cream/egg mixture over top and let sit for at least an hour or refrigerate overnight.
Heat butter in a saute pan over medium high heat.
Sprinkle bread with raw sugar. Fry first on the non-sugared side, then flip, making sure to cook all the way through.
Serve warm with a healthy dollop of condensed milk butter.

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12 Reviews

Matt L. July 15, 2014

I love pain perdu - though must admit I cook it slightly differently to make sure you get the crunch on the outside and the soft melting inside. Tea flavour is an interesting twist - I love it with lemon custard served like eggs and soldiers - www.timedeating.co.uk/dessert-egg-soldiers

RonnieG March 11, 2013

Too high in fat yo enjoy!

alienor March 10, 2013

killer french toast is right! who would even on a splurge use one and 1/2 cups of heavy cream for two people for breakfast. i woul ave to starve myself for the rest of the day. this is much too indulgent...

Aliwaks March 10, 2013

Save it for dessert ... To share like bread pudding! Also you can sub part of the cream for milk, whole, skim... Even could try using all hazelnut, coconut or almond milk.