4.7 from 32 votes
Pain Perdu (French Toast)
Pain Perdu (pronounced pan pare-due) literally means "lost bread", referring to this dishes' magical ability to rescue stale bread that would otherwise be lost. It's the original French Toast, and with a crisp buttery exterior and a soft custardy interior Pain Perdu makes for a sinful Sunday morning brunch.
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 d 20 mins
Servings:
2
slices
Calories:
728 kcal
Course:
Brunch
Cuisine:
French
Ingredients
for custard
- ½ cup milk whole
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 large egg
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Armagnac
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for Pain Perdu
- 2 lices batard bread (sliced 2-inches thick)
- 2 tablespoons butter cultured, unsalted
- 1 tablespoons superfine sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Make the custard for the Pain Perdu but whisk together the milk, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, Armagnac, and vanilla extract until the mixture is completely homogenous.
- Place the bread in in a deep dish or tray that is just large enough to hold the bread in a single layer and cover with the custard. If your dish is too large the custard won't soak into the bread completely. If you don't have a suitable dish, you can use a sealable plastic bag and press out the excess air. Cover and refrigerate for a day, turning the bread over a few times in between.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 C). Remove the soaked Pain Perdu from the refrigerator and flip one more time.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar with 1 tablespoon of flour and sprinkle half the mixture onto the tops of the bread using a small sieve(such as a tea strainer) to ensure the flour gets sprinkled evenly.
- Add the butter to a cast-iron skillet and heat over medium heat.
- When the butter has melted and the foaming subsides, add the bread with flour-sprinkled side down.
- Dust the Pain Perdu with the remaining flour/sugar mixture and fry until it's well browned on one side (about 5 minutes). If your heat is up too high it will burn, so if it looks like it's browning too quickly, turn the heat down.
- Flip the bread over and put the pan in the oven.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on it as the sugar will burn easily. You want the surface of your Pain Perdu to be very dark, but not burnt.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
728kcal
(36%)
Carbohydrates
68g
(23%)
Protein
17g
(34%)
Fat
41g
(63%)
Saturated Fat
23g
(115%)
Cholesterol
303mg
(101%)
Sodium
450mg
(19%)
Potassium
276mg
(6%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
29g
(58%)
Vitamin A
1595IU
(32%)
Calcium
164mg
(16%)
Iron
3.4mg
(19%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 2 slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 728
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 728kcal | 36% |
| Carbohydrates | 68g | 23% |
| Protein | 17g | 34% |
| Fat | 41g | 63% |
| Saturated Fat | 23g | 115% |
| Cholesterol | 303mg | 101% |
| Sodium | 450mg | 19% |
| Potassium | 276mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 29g | 58% |
| Vitamin A | 1595IU | 32% |
| Calcium | 164mg | 16% |
| Iron | 3.4mg | 19% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.