Fried Bread with Hot Pepper: Easy Recipe
Few people stop to think that fresh bread and fried bread are just ordinary bread. But fresh bread, straight from the oven, is most likely not especially good for you. My grandmother, whenever she baked bread or pies, always kept a sharp eye on us so the grandchildren would not eat our fill of it hot, scaring us with horror stories.
It is common around the world to dry or toast bread before serving it. Toasted bread in the form of rusks, croutons and toast is a regular presence at the table in many countries. I remember that many years ago imported toasters suddenly came into fashion. Everybody was making toast, fried bread. The fashion passed quickly, though, and only a few enthusiasts remained. Oh yes! Bread machines, a new and trendy wave of kitchen gadgets. In life you have to try everything.
A favorite childhood sandwich, almost a sign of homely comfort and even luxury, was slightly stale sliced loaf fried in vegetable oil. Then it was rubbed with a clove of garlic. On each piece, and this was a must, went two sprats, a very thin slice of lemon and a sprig of parsley. This was the “light” version, like a cheese sandwich. The more serious version came with mayonnaise, a gherkin and a slice of tomato. That was all, as there was no more room left on the bread.
A special dessert version is fried bread in a mixture of milk, egg and sugar, in various combinations, so-called sweet toasts. Exceptionally tasty fried bread to go with fresh milk or iced tea with lemon. Surprisingly, in Spain the local torrija is made and served exactly like this, with honey.
Industry produces special sandwich bread, toast bread. It is quite airy, even porous. It is sold in packs. All you need to do is toast a slice of the pre-sliced bread. Standard shape, standard size, standard toaster: just press the button and the timer counts the time.
Making fried bread takes a few minutes. You need a loaf of bread, not necessarily the freshest. All that remains is to slice the bread and fry it for a few minutes on both sides in a lightly oiled pan. And then, if you let your imagination run, you can put fillings and all kinds of treats on the fried bread. Although a pinch of spices is already enough, and tasty.
More with bread
BruschettaClassic Italian bruschetta: toasted baguette rubbed with garlic, brushed with olive oil and topped with ripe tomato, mozzarella and basil. Ready in 15 minutes.
Garlic ToastsGarlic toasts: slices of baguette and dark bread toasted in a dry pan and rubbed with a garlic clove. A crisp base for an appetizer platter with toppings.
Crispy CroutonsCrispy homemade croutons for beer: a white loaf, dried green onion, rock salt and a little olive oil, dried in the microwave in 20-30 minutes.
Garlic ButterHomemade garlic butter with fresh herbs and olive oil: ready in 15 minutes. Spread it on toasted bread for tasty, fragrant sandwiches.
Lavash Snack with Fresh HerbsA quick lavash snack: thin flatbread rolled with a fresh herb salad of cilantro, dill, parsley, pickled onion and garlic dressing. Ready in minutes.Ingredients
4 servings
- Bread or loaf 8 slices
- Vegetable oil 1 tbsp
- Salt, ground hot pepper pod to taste
Step-by-step recipe
- Fried bread for lunch, instead of fresh bread, is very tasty and healthy. Extra heat treatment removes traces of baker's yeast from fresh bread, and the fried bread itself becomes much more aromatic and crispy.
- I remember that in Bulgaria I always enjoy it when a restaurant has grilled bread on the menu, “prepechen hlyab”. Of our local breads, the best choices are a sliced loaf or a rectangular wheat bread, the so-called “brick”. Not long ago, though, corn bread appeared in the shops. It is tasty on its own, and fried bread made from corn flour turned out to be much tastier.
- Slice the bread with a very sharp knife, trying not to damage the crust or the crumb. The slices should be even and the same thickness across the whole area. The slice thickness is 12-15 mm. This is how bread is often sliced at the factory and sold already packed.
- There is no need to salt bread before frying. The dough usually already contains salt. But if for some reason you decide to salt the bread, do it right after slicing.
- Bread can be cooked on a grill or a regular dry pan without oil. But it is better to grease a large frying pan with a small amount of vegetable oil. You do not have to pour the oil from the bottle: dip a silicone brush in the oil and spread a thin layer over the bottom of the pan. Bread absorbs oil very well, so all the oil that was in the pan ends up in the bread.
- Heat the pan very well over high heat. Lay out the prepared slices of bread and fry for 2-3 mins, watching how browned they get. To do this, just lift the edge of a slice and look at the underside, judging the browning to your taste.
- When the underside is browned, grease the pan with oil again and turn the bread over. Fry until done. Cook all the bread you planned in this way, in batches.
- If the surface of the fried bread seems too greasy, lay the slices on a paper napkin, which absorbs fat well.
- The tasty bread is ready for lunch. Usually you want to put all kinds of good things on top: sausage, herring or sprats, cold cuts and so on. Nobody forbids it. I like fried bread sprinkled with a pinch of coarsely ground dried hot pepper pod, and with borscht.
- Fried bread, as bread rather than sandwiches, can be served on a regular plate or in a basket lined with a paper napkin. You can also make bruschetta from it, with tomato, basil and mozzarella.
- By the way, a slice of fried bread with hot pepper goes superbly with tomato juice.
| Yield: | 4 servings |
| Calories: | 326 kcal per 100 g |
| Prep time: | 5 mins |
| Cooking time: | 10 mins |
| Ready in: | 15 mins |
| Category: | Snacks and Sauces › Sandwiches |
| Cuisine: | European |
| Rating: |
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4.4
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