King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread French Toast
Auntie's Weekend Stove: Local Breakfasts & Morning Comforts
This is the taste of a slow Sunday morning in Hawaii. The islands' famous sweet bread traces its roots back to the Portuguese laborers who worked the sugarcane fields, bringing their beloved pão doce with them. Today, those ridiculously soft, pineapple-laced loaves make the ultimate custardy French toast. But there is a right way to do this. The bread is delicate and packed with sugar. You have to slice it and let it go stale overnight so it doesn't disintegrate in the pan. When it’s time to cook, give it a fast dip—do not soak it—and fry it low and slow in a mix of butter and oil so it doesn't scorch. Keep the simple things simple, drown it in coconut syrup, and it tastes exactly like home.
Before you start
Stale the bread overnight.
King's Hawaiian bread is incredibly soft and will fall apart in the custard if used fresh. Slice it 3/4-inch thick and lay the pieces flat on a wire rack overnight to dry out.
Ingredients
- King's Hawaiian Sweet Round Bread16 oz
- eggs4 large
- half-and-half1/2 cup
- pure vanilla extract1 tsp
- ground cinnamon1/2 tsp
- honey1 tbsp
- fine sea salt1 pinch
- unsalted butter2 tbsp
- vegetable oil2 tbsp
- coconut syrup1/2 cup
- powdered sugar1 tbsp
- fresh berries1 cup
- macadamia nuts1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Whisk the custard base together.
In a large, shallow dish, whisk the eggs, half-and-half, vanilla extract, cinnamon, honey, and salt until completely smooth with no streaks of egg white remaining.
- 02
Preheat the skillet with a hybrid cooking fat.
Place a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and add the butter and vegetable oil. The butter gives you that nostalgic diner flavor, while the oil raises the smoke point so the milk solids don't burn.
- 03
Give the stale bread a quick dip.
Once the butter is melted and foaming, take a slice of the stale bread and drop it into the custard. Leave it for no more than five to ten seconds per side, then lift it out and let the excess drip off. Do not let it soak.
- 04
Fry slowly to a deep golden brown.
Gently place the coated bread into the pan and cook until the bottom is deeply caramelized, about two to three minutes. Flip carefully and cook the other side for another two minutes, lowering the heat if it starts to scorch.
- 05
Keep warm and serve immediately.
Transfer the finished slices to a warm oven while you cook the rest, wiping the pan clean and adding fresh butter and oil as needed. Serve hot, dusted with powdered sugar, scattered with fruit and nuts, and generously drenched in coconut syrup.
From Cook Hawaiian in America.