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Activity 1: French Toast

Meet French toast, a beloved breakfast food originating from France, where it is called “Pain Perdu,” meaning “lost bread.”

This activity (by Dr. Galit Botzer) exposes the ingenious French concept of recycling stale bread into a sweet or savory delicacy.

You can involve the children in the preparation stages (except for the frying) and use the opportunity to develop mathematical skills, while learning about French culinary creativity.

The Activity

Instructions for Parents

Children can be involved in the preparation stages, excluding the frying stage.

Tell the children about the origin of the recipe.
Discuss with them what can be done with “lost” bread and what they think about the French idea of “recycling” the bread into toast.

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💡Fun Math Time

The preparation can be used for mathematical practice:

  • Multiplication and division: Adapting the recipe to the number of diners (dealing with fractions).
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  • Estimation: How many eggs are needed to fill an entire cup of beaten eggs?
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  • Measurements: Examining the thickness of the bread slices and their effect on absorption.

"Lost Bread" – Basic Recipe

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

🍞 8 thick slices of bread

🥛 1 cup milk

🥚 3-4 eggs

🍳 Oil for frying

Preparation:

  1. Prepare two shallow bowls.
    Pour the milk into one and beat the eggs well in the second, with the addition of 2-3 tablespoons of water.
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  2. Heat the oil in a pan (but not too much).
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  3. Dip each slice in the milk, until it is well soaked (but not too much, so it does not fall apart).
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  4. Dip in the beaten eggs so that they are well coated on all sides.
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  5. Fry until well golden on all sides.
    Serve warm.

Note: In the “one-step” method, you can mix the milk and eggs together in one large bowl and dip the slices directly.