French toast is a dish made of sliced bread soaked in eggs and typically milk, then fried. Alternative names and variants include "eggy bread", "Bombay toast", "German toast", "gypsy toast", and "poor knights". When French toast is served as a sweet dish, milk, sugar, vanilla or cinnamon are also commonly added before pan-frying, and then it may be topped with sugar, butter, fruit, or syrup. When it is a savory dish, it is generally fried with a pinch of salt and/or pepper, and can then be served with a sauce such as ketchup or mayonnaise.
History
The earliest known reference to French toast is in the Apicius, a collection of Latin recipes dating to the 4th or 5th century, where it is described as simply aliter dulcia. The recipe says to "Break fine white bread, crust removed, into rather large pieces which soak in milk fry in oil, cover with honey and serve."" A fourteenth-century German recipe uses the name Arme Ritter, a name also used in English and the Nordic languages. Also in the fourteenth century, Taillevent presented a recipe for "tostées dorées". Italian 15th-century culinary expert Martino da Como offers a recipe. The usual French name is pain perdu.
Preparation
Slices of bread are soaked or dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs, often whisked with milk or cream. Sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla may be variously added to the mixture. The bread is then fried in butter or olive oil until browned and cooked through. Day-old bread is often used, both for its thrift and because it will soak up more egg mixture without falling apart. The cooked slices may be served with sugar or sweet toppings such as jam, honey, fruit, or maple syrup.
Variations
According to the Compleat Cook as quoted in the OED, the bread was dipped in milk only, with the egg mixture added afterwards. Alternatively, the bread may be soaked in wine, rosewater, or orange juice, either before or after cooking.
In Denmark, Arme Riddere is a sweet breakfast dish, that can also be eaten as an afternoon treat or evening dessert. The Danish version of this dish uses sugar with cinnamon, instead of plain sugar.
Spain
Torrija is a similar recipe traditionally prepared in Spain for Lent and Holy Week. It is usually made by soaking stale bread in milk or wine with honey and spices. It is dipped in beaten egg and fried with olive oil. This cooking technique breaks down the fibres of the bread and results in a pastry with a crispy outside and smooth inside. It is often sprinkled with cinnamon as a final touch. Torrijas or torrejas were first mentioned by the Spanish composer, poet and playwright Juan del Encina in his Cancionero, published in 1496. "Anda acá pastor" has the verse "En cantares nuevos/ gocen sus orejas,/ miel y muchos huevos/ para hacer torrejas,/ aunque sin dolor/ parió al Redentor".
Hong Kong-style French toast is typically prepared by combining multiple slices of bread with peanut butter or fruit jam filling, then dipping in beaten egg and deep frying. It is served with butter, and topped with golden syrup or honey. It is a typical offering in Hong Kong teahouses. Other types of filling that can be found are meat floss, kaya jam, ham, or beef satay.
United States
French toast was popularly served in railroad dining cars of the early and mid-20th century. The Santa Fe was especially known for its French toast, and most of the railroads provided recipes of these and other dining car offerings to the public as a promotional feature.
In New Orleans Louisiana Creole cuisine, French toast is known as pain perdu and is most commonly served as a breakfast dish. The recipe calls for New Orleans-style French bread; the batter is an egg-based custard that may include spirits. Common toppings include cane syrup, strongly flavored honey, or fruit syrups; a dusting of powdered sugar is also traditional.
Romania
In Romania it is known as frigănele and, almost always, served as a savory dish, and, often enough, without milk.
Poland
In Poland it is known as "chleb w jajku", which means egg-bread. It is a popular breakfast dish.
Greece
In Greece it is known as avgofétes which means egg-breads and is served as a breakfast dish with sugar and hazelnut spread, and if served with kasseri, is sometimes a savory dish.
United Kingdom
In the UK, it is commonly known as "eggy bread" or occasionally as "Gypsy toast"and is served as both a sweet and as a savory dish.
