Content

• Ingredients
• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Slices of bread in the pan for an English breakfast
• Method 2 of 3: Make egg in a basket
• Method 3 of 3: Preparing French Toast
• Necessities
• Tips

A crispy crust with crusty bread in the center, infused with the flavors of cooking juices, butter or the batter in which it is baked. This is the ideal baked sandwich, and if done right, it should take no more than a few minutes to prepare and less than a minute to bake. Fry an egg in the center for a charming, delicious breakfast, or soak the bread in a simple batter to make "French toast," also known as French toast.

Ingredients

Sandwich in the pan, or Egg in a basket:

• 1 slice of white bread or brown bread (preferably some stale)
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) cooking oil, butter or bacon fat
• 1 egg (for egg in a basket)
• Salt and pepper

French toast:

• 8 thick slices of bread (preferably a bit spongy and stale)
• 3 large eggs
• ⅔ cup (160 ml) of (semi) whole milk, cream or buttermilk
• Pinch of salt
• 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) butter

(additionally, for sweet French toast)

• 1–3 tbsp (15–45 ml) sugar
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 2 tsp (10 ml) cinnamon, orange zest, or other flavor (optional)

(additionally, for spicy French toast)

• 5 tsp (20 ml) chili sauce
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) chopped basil or other savory herb
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 or more garlic cloves, pressed or shredded (optional)
• ¾ cup (180 ml) Parmesan cheese (optional)

To step

Method 1 of 3: Slices of bread in the pan for an English breakfast

1. Prepare the baked foods that go with the bread (if any). Baked sandwiches are almost always eaten with one or more types of baked side dishes, as part of an English breakfast. This often consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, tomato slices, mushrooms and baked beans. Fry them all in the same pan before starting the bread.
   • If you want to make all this food, start with the sausages first, a few minutes later the mushrooms and then a few minutes later the other ingredients. Finally, put the eggs.
2. Add more fat or oil to the pan if necessary. Depending on how much meat and butter you used in the previous session, there may be enough fat in the pan already. But let's face it, calorie musings don't have a pass when it comes to baking slices of bread. Add a small pat of butter, some vegetable oil or, more traditionally, the bacon or lard cooking juices.
3. Heat the oil. Turn the burner to medium to high heat until the oil begins to glitter and give off heat. A hot pan will keep the bread crispy, rather than soggy from all the fat.
4. Add slices of bread to the pan. Slightly stale white bread is perfect, as the dry bread will absorb the flavorful oil more quickly. Save a whole, fresh whole grain bread for those who prefer toast anyway.
   • Cut the bread into triangles if you have a small pan.
5. Season it (if necessary). A pinch of salt and a quick spin of the pepper grinder will add flavor, but this is not necessary. Cayenne pepper is another option for those who like a spicy breakfast.
6. Bake the bread for a few seconds until the slices are golden brown. When the pan is hot and greasy enough, you don't need more than a few seconds on either side for crispy, golden brown bread slices, full of the flavor of the previously baked ingredients. If the pan is too cold and it doesn't sizzle, you may have to bake the slices for 15–30 seconds, but remove them from the pan before they get "too" soggy.

Method 2 of 3: Make egg in a basket

1. Cut a hole in a slice of bread with a cutter or a kitchen knife. You can use almost any type of bread for this recipe, as long as it can be cut into pieces without crumbling. Cut a hole in the center of the bread with a cutter or cut out a shape with a kitchen knife. You can also bake the cut piece as a supplement, or nibble it while you cook.
   • Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter for a romantic breakfast.
   • If you are using a knife, place the slice of bread on a cutting board and use the tip of the knife to perforate the bread with small holes instead of cutting through directly.
2. Heat butter or oil over medium heat. Add a generous amount of butter or oil to the skillet. Let the butter melt and get hot. It should be hot enough that it will sizzle when you put the bread in the pan.
   • Do not turn up the heat or the bread will burn before the egg is done.
3. Put the bread in the pan. Make sure the fat is spread evenly over the bottom of the pan, then put the bread in the pan. Immediately proceed to the next step.
   • You can also add the cut piece of bread, if it is still whole.
4. Break an egg above the hole in the bread. Break an egg directly above the hole in the center of the loaf from a short height.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you cook for guests, you can also put this on the dining table.
   • You can also prepare all kinds of ingredients that you like for an omelet at the same time. Crumble some cheddar and put it on the bread with egg.
6. When the egg is almost completely opaque, turn the bread over. You can prepare the egg the way you like it best, but a fried egg is the easiest because the bread will burn less quickly. After a minute or two, or until the egg white is almost completely opaque, flip the egg and bread over with a spatula.
7. Wait for the dish to be ready and serve it. Fry the other egg jug in a basket for another minute or 2, until the egg white is fully cooked and firm, and the bread has browned. Now that the egg is firmer, you can move the bread together with the egg in the pan so that more fat can be absorbed.

Method 3 of 3: Preparing French Toast

1. Cut the bread. Pre-sliced ​​bread is usually too thin and tasteless to make good French toast. Instead, cut a plait bread, egg loaf, brioche, or other thin-crust compact bread into 2–2.5 cm thick slices.
   • It is best to leave a fresh bread overnight so that it becomes slightly dry and absorbs moisture more easily; fresh bread is also fine if you don't have anything else.
   • "Compact" refers to the interior of the bread, which should be spongy and free of large holes.
2. Beat the eggs, milk and salt together. Before you start baking, you need a soupy, custard-like batter for a crispy, golden brown layer around the bread. To make 8 slices of French toast, whisk together the following:
   • 3 large eggs
   • A pinch of salt
   • ⅔ cup (160 ml) of semi-skimmed milk. Substitute whole milk for a healthier alternative, or cream for a particularly rich meal. Use buttermilk (shake well) as an alternative, for extra flavor.
   • Use less milk if the bread slices are thinner or if the French toast is getting soggy.
3. Season it. French toast can be sweet or savory. Season the batter to taste:
   • For a sweet batter mix 1 tbsp (15 ml) sugar and 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract together. If you are not serving the toast with maple syrup or another sugar coating, you can add 1 or 2 tbsp (15–30 ml) of sugar in addition. Optionally, you can also add 2 tsp (10 ml) cinnamon and / or 2 tsp (10 ml) freshly grated orange zest.
   • For a savory batter mix in 5 tsp (20 ml) chili sauce, 3 tbsp (45 ml) chopped basil and a generous amount of black pepper. Parmesan, garlic, and savory herbs can also be added or substitute for the other ingredients.
4. Soak the bread in the batter. Pour the batter into a wide bowl and soak the slices of bread in it for a while. Many cooks prefer to make this recipe quickly and only soak the bread for a short time while heating the butter in the pan. However, soaking the bread for 15–20 minutes will help absorb more of the batter, and is better if you have cut dense, thick pieces of bread.
   • Turn the bread once, halfway through cooking.
5. Heat the butter in a frying pan. You will need about 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) of butter in total, but unless you have a skillet that can hold 8 slices of bread at the same time, you will probably bake it in 3 or 4 batches. Melt the butter in the pan and heat it until it foams and stops sizzling.
   • You can use an oil with a neutral flavor like canola or peanut oil, but the taste will be a lot less.
   • A little bit of oil with the butter will keep it from burning so quickly. This can be useful on an electric stove or a frying pan that heats unevenly.
6. Bake the bread slices. Add as much bread to the pan as will fit comfortably. Fry until golden brown on one side, flip and fry the other side. This should take no more than a few minutes on each side.
   • If you have extra French toast to fry, wipe the remaining butter out of the pan with kitchen paper, then melt new butter before adding the next slices.
   • If the custard is leaking, it is a sign that the pan is not hot enough or that there is too much moisture in the batter.
7. Serve the French toast. You can serve French toast as is or with different toppings. Try maple syrup, fresh fruit, or powdered milk for sweet variations. You can eat savory French toast with pesto, sautéed vegetables or Parmesan cheese.

Necessities

• Baking pan
• Spatula or cooking tongs

Tips

• Croutons are made according to the English breakfast recipe, but use olive oil or butter to prevent them from going rancid when you store them. Dice the bread slices and toss them with garlic and / or your favorite herbs before baking. (Alternatively, you can toast the bread in the oven for a less greasy crouton.)