About French Toast

French toast is a common breakfast food throughout North America.
There are many versions of this popular dish from many countries, all based on bread soaked in an egg batter and cooked on a griddle. For example, in Germany it is called armer ritter, which means "poor knight." In Portugal, it is served at Christmas and is called rabanadas, which means "golden slices of bread." In Britain, where it is served as a savory dish with cheese and tomatoes instead of syrup, it is called eggy bread.

History

French toast, called pain perdu in France, was created as a way to use stale bread. It was made primarily from day-old baguettes. There are many versions of this popular dish from many countries, all based on bread soaked in an egg batter and cooked on a griddle. For example, in Germany it is called armer ritter, which means "poor knight." In Portugal, it is served at Christmas and is called rabanadas, which means "golden slices of bread." In Britain, where it is served as a savory dish with cheese and tomatoes instead of syrup, it is called eggy bread. French toast came to Canada and the United States through French colonies and became popular throughout North America.

Function

French toast is usually a hearty breakfast meal and is also served at brunch. It is a popular item at restaurants that serve breakfast 24 hours a day such as IHOP and Denny's. It can also be purchased precooked in the frozen food section of most groceries and reheated in your toaster.

Expert Insight

There are probably hundreds of recipes to help you make French toast. Most people however take a simple recipe and adapt it.

To make French toast, take your favorite bread and soak it in a mixture eggs and milk in equal parts.
The bread should be saturated but not falling apart. This should take 30 to 60 seconds depending on how old the bread is.
Put the soaked break in a buttered skillet and cook at medium heat on each side until golden brown.
You can top it with cinnamon, powdered sugar, butter or syrup. You can also top it with fruit and whipped cream.

Types

There are several versions of French toast found at restaurants and that are easy to make. Stuffed French toast is made by putting fruit toppings, cream cheese or other mixtures between two pieces of bread before soaking and cooking. French toast sticks are also made by cutting French toast into thin slices. These are great for picky kids who like finger foods.

Misconceptions

One might think that French toast originated in France, but many countries came up with similar dishes and some of them may have preceded the French version.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• How to make French Toast (ehow video)