The Canon

Wentelteefjes

Wentelteefjesnl

Also: Dutch French toast, Gewonnen brood, Eggy bread

The Dutch version of French toast: stale bread slices soaked in a sweetened egg-and-milk mixture, fried in butter, and dusted with sugar and cinnamon.

Identity criteria

  1. 1Built on stale (day-old) bread, traditionally a way to use it up
  2. 2Slices soaked in a custard of beaten egg and milk
  3. 3Often sweetened and spiced with sugar and cinnamon
  4. 4Fried in butter until golden on both sides
  5. 5Finished with a dusting of cinnamon sugar

Components

Base

Stale white bread slicesessentialDay-old bread soaks up the custard without falling apart.

Fat

Butter (for frying)essential

Liquid

Milkessential

Binder

Eggessential

Seasoning

Cinnamon and sugaressentialThe classic Dutch flavoring and finish.

Technique

Soaking bread in egg-milk custard
The custard penetrates the stale bread, giving the soft, rich interior that defines the dish.
Pan-frying in butter
Butter-frying browns the exterior and adds the rich flavor distinct from toasting.

Form & serving

Served
Whole or halved fried slices, dusted with cinnamon sugar
Temperature
warm
Portion
a few slices as breakfast or snack
Pairs with
coffee or tea · syrup · apple compote · powdered sugar

Character

Flavour

sweetwarm-spicedbutteryeggy

Texture

crisp buttery exterior, soft custardy interior

Eaten

A homely Dutch breakfast or after-school snack, traditionally made to use up stale bread, served warm with cinnamon sugar.

When

year-round

Variations & related

Regional variations

  • Classic cinnamon-sugar · Netherlands

    Dusted with cinnamon and sugar after frying.

  • Savory version · Netherlands

    Without sugar, eaten plain or with cheese.

Related dishes

  • sibling French toast / pain perdu

    The same egg-soaked fried-bread concept across cuisines.

  • sibling Arme Ritter

    The German equivalent.

Substitutions

  • White bread → Brioche or raisin breadadmissible

    Richer breads work and are common in modern versions.

  • Egg-milk soak → Dry toasting with no custardinadmissible

    Without the egg-milk soak it is just toast, not wentelteefjes.

Common mistakes

  • Using fresh bread that turns mushy in the custard
  • Skipping the soak so the inside stays dry
  • Frying in oil instead of butter and losing the rich flavor
  • Burning the sugar by adding it before frying rather than after

Provenance

The Dutch member of the pan-European family of egg-soaked fried bread, a thrifty way to use up stale bread.

Claimed by: Netherlands

References

  1. 1.Dutch home cooking tradition

Confidence: high