This is one of my favorite breakfasts to make. When Oliver’s having a lazy morning, and he just wants to lay on the couch and watch a movie, I almost always make him a bowl of these so that he can just grab them with his hand and pop them in his mouth.
Traditionally they’re made using challah bread, but that’s not something I keep on hand. I just use the white Italian style sandwich bread that I buy. It’s a bit thicker and much sturdier then the wonderbread, etc. though, so if that’s the kind you typically have on hand you’ll probably want to get the challah or Italian style sandwich bread for this. The bread cubes soak in the egg mixture, so the softer, finer crumb options will just fall apart on you.
Here’s what we need: eggs, whole milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, bread cut into squares, vegetable oil, butter, and white sugar.
Put the milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl and whisk it all together.
Throw in the bread.
Mix it all up with a wooden spoon (gently though, you don’t want to break the bread), until the bread has absorbed all the liquid.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pour in the bread.
Stir gently, tossing everyone couple of minutes, until nice and golden on all sides. The bread should look fairly dry and slightly crisp when ready.
Now’s the best part of this recipe. You don’t add anything to it once finished, because you make a sweet “syrup” right in the pan to coat it. So, throw in the butter.
Toss the bread constantly with the butter until it’s completely melted and coats all the pieces.
Sprinkle in the sugar.
Continue to toss the bread until the sugar has completely dissolved. Continue cooking, tossing constantly, for 2 or 3 more minutes. This will cook the sugary mixture until it will harden a little bit once cool. This way the pieces are nice and easy to grab, and they have a bit of a crisp “shell” of syrup when slightly cooled.
Yep, these are pretty fabulous, and a nice change from the standard French toast that we’re all used too.
Alright, here’s a closer shot, but just this once!
One more thing, to say these are Oliver approved is an understatement. This was obviously the end of the photo shoot, lol, just too tempting!
Here’s your printable:
Swiss Eibrot (French Toast Bites)
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 8 slices good quality sandwich bread, cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup white sugar
Instructions
- Place the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl and whisk well to combine.
- Add the bread to the egg mixture, and gently mix until all off the liquid has been absorbed by the bread.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the soaked bread and sauté in a single layer until golden brown on all sides, stirring occasionally. About 8 minutes.
- Add the butter and toss until completely melted and all the bread cubes are coated.
- Sprinkle on the sugar, toss to coat, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. The sugar will be completely dissolved and form a slight syrupy shell around the bread.
- Let cool slightly before eating.
Notes
Use only good quality Italian style sandwich bread or Challah bread.
If using Challah bread, you need 4 cups of 1" cubes.