Lost Bread with Apples
Lost Bread with Apples
Pain perdu, or French toast, literally translates to “lost bread,” so named because you use dry bread that would normally be thrown away. The dry, firm bread soaks up the egg mixture without getting mushy. Far from lost, this toast is best served as a late-night dessert or even a (very) decadent breakfast. Sweet, yes, but also boozy, which strikes a good balance in my opinion.
Ingrediënten
- Serves 4
- 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup dark rum
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- Salt
- 4 1-inch-thick slices stale levain
- 2 cups apple cider
- 10 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 Granny Smith apple peeled, seeded, and cut into thin wedges
- Vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream for serving optional
Instructies
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, milk, rum, and cinnamon until combined.
- Whisk in the sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Pour the mixture into a rimmed baking sheet or casserole dish and lay the bread in the liquid.
- Set aside, flipping the bread every so often until it’s soaked through, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Place a cooling rack over your sink and set the bread on top.
- Allow any excess liquid to drip out of the bread.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot on medium heat, reduce the apple cider to a syrupy consistency, swirling the pan every so often to prevent it from boiling, about 30 minutes.
- Whisk in 6 tablespoons of the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until melted and combined.
- Whisk in the apple cider vinegar.
- Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large ovenproof pan on medium heat until it starts to sizzle and foam.
- Lay the bread slices in the pan and cook until they’re nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Flip and brown on the other side, 3 to 5 minutes more.
- Place the pan in your oven and bake until the bread is crisped through, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool for 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pan on medium-high heat.
- When the butter starts to foam, add the apple and cook, stirring and flipping often, until it caramelizes, about 10 minutes.
- Divide the bread among serving plates or bowls and top with the caramelized apples.
- Drizzle on the apple syrup and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
