In Japan, this dish is widely known as French toast, but in France, it actually goes by a different name.
In French, it’s called Pain Perdu, which literally means “lost bread.”
It’s a bit like how we don’t usually call curry in Japan “Japanese curry”—in France, people just naturally call it Pain Perdu.
What does “Pain Perdu” mean?
The usual French name is pain perdu (French: [pɛ̃ pɛʁdy] ⓘ) ‘lost bread’, reflecting its use of stale or otherwise “lost” bread. It may also be called pain doré ‘golden bread’ in Canada.
Wikipedia
The idea is that stale or hardened bread—the “lost bread”—can be revived by soaking it in milk and eggs.
Since bread is such an essential part of French life, it makes sense that people came up with such a clever way to avoid wasting it.
In Japan, French toast is usually made with soft, fluffy white bread. Hotel-style French toast is also often thick, pillowy, and rich.
In contrast, French Pain Perdu is most often made with leftover baguette. The harder texture of baguette gives it a crisp crust and a creamy, custard-like center once cooked.
This recipe is not the Japanese-style French toast, but the French version: Pain Perdu.
By slightly warming the bread and poking small holes in it, you can make stale bread delicious again in no time.
It’s perfect if you’re short on time, or if you have leftover bread sitting in your fridge or freezer!
Ingredients
| Baguette (French bread) | 1/2 |
| Butter | 10g |
| Egg | 1 |
| Whole milk (richer milk works best) | 100ml |
| Brown sugar (regular sugar works too) | 1–2 tbsp |
| Vanilla extract (optional) | 2 drops |
| Salt | a pinch |
How to Make
1⃣ Slice the baguette into 2 cm thick pieces.
If using frozen or refrigerated bread, warm it in the microwave first.
Poke a few holes on the surface with a fork.
Tip: My microwave has a “bread warm” setting, which worked perfectly.
2⃣ In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla.
3⃣ Soak both sides of the baguette slices in the mixture for about 1 minute.
4⃣ Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat, and cook the bread until both sides are golden brown.
Watch carefully—it burns easily!
If this recipe looks tasty, share it on Twitter/X!
And if you try making it, tag me—I’d love to see your creations!
