Roman “French” Toast

020

Ancient Recipe

“Another sweet dish: Cut the crust from the best African mustaceum bread and soak it in milk. When it is saturated, bake it in oven, but not for too long to avoid drying it out. Remove the bread when it is hot, and pour honey over it. Prick holes in it so that it absorbs the honey. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.”¹

BAR’s Variation

Bread Ingredients:

Instructions: Mix the honey into warm water (110–115° F), then dissolve the yeast in the honey-water and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes. Add flour, anise seed, and cumin and gently mix until the mixture forms a sticky consistency. Use white wine or white grape juice to moisten the dough, adding about a half cup at a time (I used 1½ cups). Knead the dough then leave it to rest for 2–3 hours. After resting, preheat the oven to 350° F and bake for 30 minutes. (The crust should not be too firm when you take it out.)

“French” Toast Ingredients:

Instructions: Once the bread has cooled, remove the crust and cut the loaf into slices or cubes. Soak the cubes in milk until soft. Remove from milk and bake at 350° F until brown (about 20 minutes)—be careful they don’t dry out. When done, remove from oven, drench with honey, and sprinkle with pepper. Bon appétit!