Egg-dipped bread absorbs oil when you use fresh bread and start before the pan is hot enough; bread that acts like a sponge soaks up both the egg and the oil. With stale, thick slices, a quick dip, and a preheated pan over medium heat with just a little oil, the outside browns while the inside stays creamy, and the slices do not become saturated with oil. For pregnant women, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, cook the slices until no runny egg remains in the center.
Bread is porous and quickly absorbs liquid. Fresh bread has soft pores; when dipped in egg, it absorbs too much liquid, becomes heavy, and starts to fall apart in the pan. Bread that has sat for one day and dried slightly absorbs a moderate amount of egg and holds its shape. Cut the slices 1.5–2 centimeters thick; very thin slices become soggy quickly and then dry out in the pan. If you do not have stale bread, you can dry the slices lightly in the oven for a few minutes before using them. Whole-wheat and rye bread can also be used; these breads absorb less liquid than white bread.
The dipping time is the second factor. Hold each side of a slice dipped in the egg mixture for a few seconds, then remove it right away and let the excess drip off against the side of the bowl. A slice left soaking too long gets wet all the way to the center, stays raw inside in the pan, and becomes like an oily sponge when transferred to the plate. If you use milk in the mixture, adjust the amount: adding more than one 100 ml measure of milk for every two eggs makes the mixture thin and causes the bread to absorb too much liquid. Beat the mixture thoroughly so the egg whites do not remain stringy.
The pan temperature directly affects oil absorption. Preheat the pan over medium heat and add the oil after the pan is hot. A slice placed in a cold pan sits in the oil while the pan heats, absorbing oil the whole time. At the right temperature, the slice sizzles as soon as it touches the pan and its surface sets right away. If the heat is too high, the egg browns immediately on the outside while the mixture inside remains uncooked, leaving the center of the slice wet. Medium heat lets both sides brown in 2–3 minutes per side.
Use only a small amount of oil. Enough to coat the pan with a thin layer is sufficient; the slices should not float in the oil. Butter alone darkens quickly, so use a piece of butter together with a spoonful of cooking oil: the butter adds flavor, while the cooking oil raises the temperature at which the fat burns. After each batch, wipe the pan and replace the oil if there are darkened crumbs; burned crumbs give the next slice a bitter taste.
Do not stack the cooked slices on paper towels; place them in a single layer on a wire rack or plate and leave them uncovered. Add salt to the egg mixture so the flavor is distributed throughout each slice. If you like sweet flavors, add cinnamon to the mixture and drizzle grape molasses or honey over the slices when serving. Keep the slices that will be served together on a wire rack in an oven at 90–100°C / 195–210°F. Arrange the slices with space between them in the pan; an overcrowded pan traps steam and the slices will not brown. Do not save leftover egg mixture; because it contains raw egg, use it during the same meal or discard it.
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