Pain Perdu (Eggy Bread)
Day-old bread or brioche soaked in vanilla custard and fried to golden, crisp on the outside and soft inside. Rich, comforting, a little boozy if you dare with a drop of Armagnac. Pain perdu is the French way of saving lost bread!
Ingredients
- white bread old bread or brioche
- 3 egg
- 200 ml whole milk
- 50 ml heavy cream
- 50 gr sugar
- 25 gr unsalted butter for frying
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 splash Armagnac for an authentic French twist
- 1 pinch salt
Equipment
Instructions
1. Prepare the mix
- Whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt until combined. Add the milk, cream, vanilla and Armagnac if using, and whisk until smooth.
2. Slice
- Cut the bread or brioche into thick slices, 2–3cm. Day-old or slightly stale works best, as it absorbs the custard without falling apart.
3. Soak
- Soak each slice in the custard so both sides are well saturated but not soggy. Rest the slices on a plate for a moment so the custard settles into the bread.
4. Fry
- Heat the butter in a pan over medium until foaming. Add the soaked slices and fry 2–3 minutes a side, until deep golden. Turn carefully to keep their shape.
5. Serve immediately
- Serve straight away, dusted with icing sugar. Pain perdu should be crisp outside and soft and custardy within.
Notes
- Day-old brioche or a rustic white loaf gives the best result. Avoid thin sandwich bread.
- Keep the heat medium: too hot burns the outside before the centre sets, too cool and it turns greasy.
- A splash of Armagnac or rum in the custard adds depth for an adult version.
- Serve with icing sugar, jam, fresh fruit, or a drizzle of honey.