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Pain Perdu with Jam

Source of Recipe

From "Cheryl Day's Treasury of Southern Baking" by Cheryl Day


Recipe Introduction

"Pain perdu literally means 'lost bread,' and this version is a New Orleans-style French toast recipe that is made with day-old or stale bread. The thick slices get saturated in an egg custard, browned in butter in a skillet, and then baked in the oven. Serve with a generous dusting of confectioners' sugar and jam. You can gild the lily and pass warm maple syrup too!"

List of Ingredients

â—¦  6 large eggs
â—¦  ½ cup heavy cream
â—¦  1 tablespoon granulated sugar
â—¦  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
â—¦  ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
â—¦  4 extra-thick (1 ½-inch) slices day-old bread, such as brioche or challah
â—¦  4 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦  Confectioners' sugar for dusting
â—¦  Jam for serving


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt together until the mixture is light and pale yellow.

Place the bread slices in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and let soak for about 5 minutes. Flip the bread over to make sure it is completely soaked in the liquid.

In a large heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until it begins to sizzle. Gently place the soaked bread in the hot skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side, until golden brown; peek underneath to make sure all the slices are browned.

Flip the slices of bread over, transfer the skillet to the oven, transfer the skillet to the oven, and bake for 4 to 6 minutes. The toasts should be puffed up and golden on the second side.

Transfer the toast to plates and sprinkle generously with confectioners' sugar. Serve with a big dollop of jam.

Serves 4