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!

Prep10

Cook10

Total20

Servings

DifficultyEasy

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

1 mixing bowl
1 whisk
1 frying pan
1 spatula
1 plate for soaking bread

Instructions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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