William Meppem
The first written reference to a dish resembling French toast dates back to a Roman cookbook from the 1st century, which describes soaking pieces of white bread in milk and beaten eggs, before frying them and topping with honey. It stands to reason: eggs, milk and bread are such staple foods in Western cuisine, of course they were going to end up together as a meal at some point. So how did it become French toast? As with most old and famous dishes, no one’s really sure (there are many proffered explanations, few of them convincing). In France, the dish is known as pain perdu (“lost bread”) – a reference to the bread getting lost when submerged under the batter.
Regardless of where the name comes from, these days French toast is synonymous with weekends, sweet brunches and leisurely breakfasts in bed. Our best French toast recipes all stay close to the spirit of the original – it’s in the toppings where you can really great creative.
Chocolate and banana French toast with salted caramel
