Hong Kong–Style Stuffed French Toast Recipe

Inspired by the Hong Kong–style French toasts chef Melissa King grew up eating at Chinese cafés with her grandmother, these peanut butter–stuffed sandwiches found in her new cookbook, Cook Like a King, are the ultimate sweet breakfast or brunch treat. A quick dip in a vanilla-egg custard mixture before frying gives the French toast a light, crispy exterior while the center stays soft and gooey. To take it to the next level, King adds an optional savory garnish. Crumbles of lap cheong (Chinese sausage) are fried until crisp and sprinkled over the French toast for a salty contrast to the sweetened condensed milk drizzle. 

The origins of this dish can be traced back to Hong Kong’s colonial period under British rule (1841–1997), when Western culinary staples like tea, toast, and desserts were introduced to the area. The locals began incorporating these elements into their own cooking while adapting the dishes to suit their own tastes, making them richer and more flavorful. Hong Kong–style French toast is one of the results of this fusion. The dish gained popularity in the 1950s and ’60s with the rise of cha chaan tengs, affordable diners or cafés specializing in this East-meets-West cuisine. 

Unlike the French toast that’s commonly found in American breakfast restaurants, Hong Kong–style French toast features milk bread filled with peanut butter. The thick-sliced sandwiches are typically deep fried, but this version uses less oil for an easy-to-make shallow-fried version. The result is a hearty, golden-brown fork-and-knife French toast with a molten peanut butter filling and slathering of lemony sweetened condensed milk. 

What is milk bread?

Milk bread is a soft and fluffy, slightly sweet bread commonly found at Japanese bakeries. It’s made using a tangzhong, a flour-and-milk mixture similar to a thick roux, that allows the dough to absorb more moisture. This is what gives the bread its characteristic fine crumb and soft texture. Milk bread is available at most Asian grocery stores or online at goldbelly.com.

If you’re unable to find milk bread, brioche will work well in this recipe. Avoid using other types of bread, as they may disintegrate when soaked in the custard mixture or get too crisp and hard when fried.

How to make the lap cheong crumble

Peel off and discard the casings of two chilled lap cheong (Chinese pork sausage) links (about 5 ounces). Cut the sausage into 1/2-inch rounds, and process in a food processor until very finely chopped, 15 to 30 seconds. 

Cook the sausage crumbles and 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil in a medium skillet over medium-high, stirring often, until the sausage is crispy and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage crumbles to a paper towel–lined plate using a slotted spoon; let cool completely.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Buy a loaf of unsliced milk bread and cut it yourself so you can control the thickness of the slices. 

• If you don’t have a thermometer to check the heat of the oil, submerge the end of a wooden chopstick or wooden spoon into the oil; if it immediately releases bubbles, it’s hot enough to fry the French toast.
• Heat the sweetened condensed milk mixture just until it’s warm — if it gets too hot, the buttermilk may curdle.

This recipe was developed by Melissa King; the text was written by Paige Grandjean.