Torrijas aka Spanish-Style French Toast

TORRIJAS is a Spanish-style “French” toast served as a dessert or decadent brunch dish, made with stale bread soaked in citrus-infused custard/milk, fried and sweetened. The soaked bread takes on a soft, bread pudding consistency that is totally dreamy juxtaposed with its golden fried exterior. I discovered TORRIJAS in Barcelona last summer and it totally blew my mind. If you’re in the mood for a decadent, mind-blowing treat, this is your sign to make TORRIJAS!

Since returning home from the trip, I researched (meaning, I googled alot) and learned that the version I had at restaurant Vinitus in Barcelona is a modern take on the dish. TORRIJAS are often wine-soaked and usually topped with cinnamon sugar or honey. Vinitus’ bread is deep fried, topped with custard, and finished with a bruléed sugar top. Of course, this is the inspiration for the recipe I developed to share with you. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Thanks to Windor Salt for sponsoring this recipe and reminding me to remind everyone that even dessert recipes can fall flat without a touch of fine sea salt to avoid being one-dimensionally sweet. Windsor Salt fine sea salt is perfect to use in recipes like this where a pinch here and there enhances all the flavours…so the citrus is more perky, custard more rich and the cinnamon more fragrant.

If you have a recipe question or food for thought to share with me. I’d love to hear about it. Drop it in the comments below 💛

Eat well and be well,

Sonia x

what is the different between Torrijas and French Toast?

Torrijas are similar to French toast, but the bread is soaked in milk (or wine), then separately dipped in eggs and fried. It is often referred to as the Spanish version of French toast.

What is Crème anglaise?

Crème anglaise, custard sauce, pouring custard, or simply custard is a light, sweetened pouring custard used as a dessert cream or sauce. It is a mix of sugar, egg yolks, and hot milk usually flavoured with vanilla. [wikipedia]

what is brûlée?

Brûlée is the French word for “burned”. You will most likely know this word from the decadent French dessert Crème Brûlée, where cream custard is cooked in a ramekin which is topped with sugar then “burnt” with a torch for a crunchy sugar shell that you shatter with a spoon to enjoy. We recreate a similar vibe in this TORRIJAS recipe by sprinkling sugar on the custard topping and torching it for a crunchy layer.

What equipment do I need to brûlée?

A butane or propane torch is used to brûlée the sugar. I use a general purpose Bernzomatic propane torch but most homecooks would use a smaller, butane kitchen torch aka a culinary torch. Either of those will do. Some recipes suggest broiling in the oven if no torch is available. I did not test that method for this recipe because I hypothesize the custard topping will curdle and melt well before the sugar gets caramelized. If you venture to try it, let me know how it goes.

can I skip the brûléed sugar?

Definitely. If you don’t have a torch, feel free to skip the sugar top altogether. Your TORRIJAS will actually be more true to the traditional version without it — and still be ultra delicious and decadent.

TORRIJAS AKA SPANISH FRENCH TOAST

Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS.

1 unsliced Brioche, Challah or Pullman’s loaf, preferably 1-2 day old

For the orange Crème Anglaise:

½ C whole milk

½ C heavy cream (35% fat)

4 tsp sugar

½ tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract

Several 1”-wide strips of rind from half a small orange (save the other half for below)

3 egg yolks

1/8 tsp Windsor fine sea salt

For the soaking liquid:

2½ C whole milk

1 cinnamon stick or ¾ tsp ground cinnamon

Several 1”-wide strips of rind from half a small orange (the other half of the orange from above)

2 tbsp sugar

1/8 tsp Windsor fine sea salt

For frying:

2 whole eggs, whisked

High heat oil, about 1 1/3 C

For the brulée top:

4 tbsp sugar

METHOD.

Make orange Crème Anglaise (can be done 1-2 days in advance): Place milk, cream, orange rinds, sugar, vanilla paste or extract, and sea salt into a small pot. Warm over medium heat to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, cover and steep 30 minutes.

Place yolks in a medium bowl and whisk vigorously for a few minutes. Once milk is done steeping (and cooled), slowly pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into the egg yolk mixture. Transfer back into the small pot and return to stove, heating over low heat and stirring constantly until mixture is thickened enough to coat the back of a metal spoon or reached 165f measured with an instant thermometer. It will thicken further after chilling. Remove from heat and pour through the fine-mesh sieve again into clean bowl. Once cooled, place plastic food wrap directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin forming. Chill fully in fridge.

Steep soaking liquid: Add milk, cinnamon, orange rinds, sugar and sea salt into a small pot. Warm on stove over medium heat to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, cover and steep 30 minutes.

Prepare bread: Trim crusts off the uncut loaf on all six sides, then cut loaf into 6 equally-sized blocks measuring approximately 2½” x 2½” x 3” (or similar, depending on exact dimension of your loaf). If using fresh (not day-old) bread, dry blocks in a 250f oven for 30 minutes before proceeding to help them better absorb the soaking liquid.

Soak bread in milk: Pour steeped milk into a shallow dish just large enough to hold the liquid and all 6 blocks of bread. I used a quarter sheet pan with a 1” lip. Arrange bread in milk, turning the pieces on all 6 sides to soak evenly. Soak at least 30 minutes up to a couple of hours – the longer the soak, the more saturated and bread pudding-y the center. The bread should soak up all of the liquid. Be careful handling the bread at this point since it is quite soft.

Prepare for frying: Set a pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Pour enough oil that it comes up ½”- ¾” high. Heat oil to 350f, or when surface is shimmering and a dry wooden chopstick placed in the center creates rapid bubbles rising up its side.

Fry Torrijas: Once oil is hot, dip bread pieces in whisked eggs, turning to coat all sides. Gently slide into hot oil to fry, flipping until golden on all sides. Repeat for all bread pieces, adjusting heat to maintain temperature between 350f-360f. Place on paper towel-lined plate for a moment to absorb excess oil. Transfer to serving plates.

Serve: Top Torrijas with orange crème Anglais followed by 2 teaspoons of sugar sprinkled all over the top. Brulée the sugar with a kitchen torch at about 2” distance, moving in a circular motion for even browning, until sugar bubbles and turns deep golden brown.

Enjoy immediately!

🎥 watch the video for TORRIJAS:

This post was sponsored by Windsor Salt Ltd. Thank you for supporting the brands that enable me to share free recipe content like this with you.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments below. Or if you make this recipe, tag me on Instagram @ saltnpepperhere or on TikTok @ sonia.saltnpepperhere. I would love that x