Pain Perdu
The original French Toast!
When you spend time in French homes, you start to realize there’s always a lot of French bread lying around. Typically, a few pieces are left over from lunch, dinner, and even breakfast.
Because the French love their fresh bread, it’s typically bought daily and goes stale pretty quickly. When it does, it’s as hard as a rock!
So, what to do with it, you might ask? Pain Perdu is your move. Because really, how many containers of bread crumbs do you really need sitting in your freezer?
Is Pain Perdu the Same as French toast?
Pain Perdu, pronounced PAYN-pair-do, is really the origin of our American “French Toast”.
In French, pain perdu means “lost bread” because it’s made with a French baguette that has gone stale, usually by the next day.
This is probably the biggest difference between pain perdu and French toast: Pain perdu is typically made with a French baguette, whereas in the U.S., we typically use thick sandwich bread.
In France, pain perdu can also be served as a dessert, made with brioche, and topped with ice cream and caramel sauce. Or some sauteed apples with a splash of calvados is also nice.
In all cases, the egg batter is the same: eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. But I also like to add a little orange zest too.
And of course, the American in me also drizzles a bit of maple syrup on top (so very NOT French!).
Variations:
Switch up the flavor profiles by adding different flavorings to the egg mixture.
Almond extract is a delicious addition. Skip the orange zest and instead top the finished pain perdu with toasted sliced almonds.
Instead of extracts, you can also use various alcohols like Rum, Calvados, Amaretto, or Frangelico.
Serving Tips
Pile the pain perdu on a platter and serve family-style.
You can serve it with butter and jam, or more orange zest and a drizzle of warm maple syrup.
Or a dusting of powdered sugar on top is also nice.
For more yummy Breakfast Recipes, try my Foolproof Crepe Recipe, Blueberry Crumb Cake, or my easy Egg Bake Soufflé.
It's pronounced "pain-per-du and not do. Maybe a typo.
Absolutely brilliant way to turn stale baguette into something special! The whole concept of pain perdu really shows how French cooking is about respecting ingredients and minimizing waste. I used to toss day-old bread till I learned this trick from a freind in Lyon, and now its become a weekend staple. Adding orange zest to the custard sounds like a game-changer.