Torrijas

Ingredients

Bread

• 1loaf day-old dense white bread, cut into slices 3 cm thick
• ideally pan de torrijas

Milk soak

• 1 litrewhole milk
• 100 gsugar
• 1cinnamon stick
• the peel of 1 lemon
• the peel of 1 orange

Or wine soak

• 500 mlsweet wine, moscatel or Pedro Ximénez
• in place of some of the milk

To coat and fry

• 3eggs, beaten
• olive oil, for frying, a generous amount

To finish

• 150 gsugar mixed with 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• or warmed honey thinned with water

To serve

• at room temperature, during Holy Week

Directions

1. Use dense, close-crumbed white bread that is a day or two old. A good brioche or a firm white tin loaf works, and an airy open-crumbed sourdough does not.
2. Cut the slices thick, at least 3 cm. Thick slices are the point, since a torrija should be custardy in the middle and thin ones simply fry through. Warm the milk with the sugar, cinnamon and citrus peels to just below a simmer. Take it off the heat and let it infuse, covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Let it infuse off the heat rather than boiling the peel, since long boiling draws bitterness from the pith. Strain it and let it cool to lukewarm. Lay the slices in a single layer in a dish and pour the milk over. Soak them for 20 to 30 minutes, turning once carefully. The bread should be saturated right to the centre but still hold together when lifted.
4. Press the centre gently with a finger to check: it should feel soft and heavy throughout. Now lift them out and let them drain on a rack for a few minutes. Heat a generous depth of olive oil in a wide pan to about 180°C. Use plenty of oil and get it properly hot.
5. Dip each drained slice in beaten egg, coating it all over. The egg seals the surface and holds the soaked bread together, and it is what stops it falling apart. Fry for about 2 minutes a side until deep golden. Turn once only, with two spatulas if necessary. Do not crowd the pan, which drops the temperature.
6. Lift them out and drain them on a rack rather than paper. Now the finish, done while they are hot. Toss them in cinnamon sugar, or brush them with warmed honey thinned with a little water.
7. Coat them while hot so the sugar sticks and the honey soaks in. Torrijas are served at room temperature or cold, not hot from the pan. Serve them as a dessert, with coffee, or in the afternoon. They are sold in every Spanish bakery and bar through Holy Week and then largely disappear until the following year.

Technique

• Pan de torrijas is sold specifically for this in Spanish bakeries before Easter.
• Wine-soaked versions are traditional in Andalusia and Castile.
• They are eaten at room temperature rather than hot.

Substitutions

• Brioche or a firm white tin loaf.
• Honey in place of cinnamon sugar.

Variations

• Soaked in sweet wine.
• Finished with honey rather than sugar.
• Torrijas de leche condensada, a richer modern version.

History

Recorded in the fifteenth century as food for new mothers, later a Lenten way to use up stale bread.

Frequently asked questions

What is Torrijas?

Torrijas is a dessert from Spain: milk-soaked bread fried and coated in cinnamon sugar or honey, eaten at Easter. Recorded in the fifteenth century as food for new mothers, later a Lenten way to use up stale bread.

How long does Torrijas take to make?

Torrijas takes 20 min plus 2 hr soaking of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 pieces. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Torrijas?

Yes, within limits. Brioche or a firm white tin loaf. Honey in place of cinnamon sugar.

What is the most important thing to get right in Torrijas?

Cut the slices thick, at least 3 cm. Thick slices are the point, since a torrija should be custardy in the middle and thin ones simply fry through. Warm the milk with the sugar, cinnamon and citrus peels to just below a simmer. Take it off the heat and let it infuse, covered, for 30 minutes.