Camp French Toast
Powdered eggs and milk, a hot skillet, and a loaf of bread that was going stale anyway.
- calories
- 430
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 78
- protein
- 15 g
- serves
- 6, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- 420 ml cold
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Breakfast
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Whole egg powder | 1 cup | reconstitutes to about 8 eggs |
|---|---|---|
| Powdered whole milk | 1/2 cup | makes the 1.75 cups of milk |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp | |
| Cinnamon | 1/2 tsp | |
| Nutmeg | 1/2 tsp | |
| Oil | 2 tbsp plus more for the pan | in the batter, not just under it |
| Sandwich bread | 1 loaf | day-old is better than fresh |
| Syrup | to taste | squeeze bottle, not glass |
Method
- Dump the egg and milk powder, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a pot or bowl. Add 420 ml of cold water and whisk with a fork until no dry lumps float. Let it sit two minutes, then whisk again.
- Beat in the 2 tbsp of oil. It goes into the batter so the bread browns even if the pan runs dry.
- Heat a skillet over medium coals or a low flame. Too hot and the outside burns before the egg sets. Wipe it with oil.
- Dip a slice, flip it, lift it out on the fork and let the excess run back into the bowl. Two seconds a side. Soaked bread turns to mush in the pan.
- Lay it down, cook until the underside is brown, flip once, cook the other side. Work in batches and keep the finished slices covered.
- Pour syrup over the stack.
The original calls for eight eggs and most of a quart of milk, neither of which belongs in a cooler you plan to open on day three. Whole egg powder and powdered milk rehydrate into the same custard and weigh a fraction of it. The ratio is what matters: roughly one part liquid egg to one part milk, plus a spoon of sugar for browning.
Two things go wrong with french toast in camp. The pan runs too hot over coals, so the egg sets black on the outside and stays wet inside — cook it over the edge of the fire, not the middle. And the bread sits in the batter too long. A quick dip coats it; a soak fills it, and a filled slice never firms up. The oil beaten into the batter covers for a skillet you have not oiled well enough.
Packing
Premix the egg powder, milk powder, sugar, and spices in one zip bag at home. At camp it is one bag plus water. Bread rides on top of the food bin or it arrives as crumbs.
Variations
- Stale or slightly hard bread soaks better and does not fall apart. Buy the loaf a day early.
- No syrup? Jam thinned with a splash of hot water pours fine.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar and peanut butter on it if you are feeding kids.
https://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/recipe/basic_french_toast-2098.asp