How to prevent burning when frying bread?

Question

I have the following recipe:

• 1 teaspoon of milk
• 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 fresh egg
• 2 slices of bread

I cut the bread into some squares and throw it inside the mixture (milk + sugar + egg). Later, I put them in a wok and fry them.

However, I always get 25% to 30% of them burned, another 10% to 20% of them quite wet.

So, how do I prevent the 25% to 30% of them from getting burned? (I tried reducing the heat and using less oil but could not prevent them from either getting burned or soggy.)

Answer 1

Given that the frying of a cube of bread is a test for oil temperature, I suspect one or both of two things are happening here -

• 1 The oil is not at the correct temperature when the cubes of bread are dropped in it; and

• 2 The oil temperature drops when you add too many cubes in at the same time so some get burnt and some end up soggy for the single time duration you're cooking them for.

Suggested solutions -

• 1 Ensure the oil is at the correct temperature for the level of browness you want the cubes of bread to be fried to.

• 2 Don't over-crowd the pan. Fry them in batches, ensuring the oil temperature rises back to the correct one before the next batch is fried.

Answer 2

Do you make sure the oil is heated all the way before putting the bread in? I would think that, as long as the oil is completely hot, and at a moderate temperature, you would get good results. The only other thing that comes to mind in terms of sogginess, is that the bread spends too long in the mixture. I would just pop the bread in and out of the mixture long enough for it to get covered, but not for the bread to absorb too much liquid. You might also try frying at a lower heat for a longer period.