Swiss Käseschnitte — Baked Cheese Toast with a Fried Egg in 25 Minutes
Yvonne Ammann VegetarianToast the bread briefly, sprinkle with white wine, pile on grated cheese and bake at 220 °C for 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese bubbles. Fried egg on top. The wine is the difference between cheese on toast and Käseschnitte.
Käseschnitte is what lands on the table in a mountain hut after a day's hike — and at home it is the fastest supper there is. Stale bread, cheese, an egg. What makes it better than cheese on toast is the splash of white wine in the bread: it keeps it moist and gives the flavour you know from the mountains.
Ingredients
- 8 slices Bread (day-old, farmhouse or dark bread)
- 1 dl White wine
- 400 g Gruyère (grated)
- 1 dl Milk
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 4 pieces Eggs
- 2 tbsp Butter
- Pepper
- Paprika
- 4 slices Ham (optional)
Method
- 1
Toast the bread
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Lightly toast the bread in the toaster or briefly in the oven — this stops the base going soggy.
- 2
Soak with wine
Lay the bread on a lined baking tray and sprinkle each slice with white wine. It should be moist, not swimming.
- 3
Mix the cheese
Mix the cheese with the milk, flour, pepper and paprika. The flour and milk make the cheese layer creamy rather than oily — that is the mountain-hut trick.
- 4
Top and bake
Add ham to the bread if you like. Spread the cheese mixture thickly to the edges. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese bubbles and turns golden.
- 5
Fry the eggs
In the last 4 minutes, melt the butter in a pan and fry the eggs, yolks still soft. Set one on each pair of slices and serve straight away with gherkins and pickled onions.
Tips
- Stale bread beats fresh. It soaks up the wine without falling apart. If you only have fresh bread, toast it a little longer.
- Käseschnitte is the best use for cheese ends: raclette, Appenzeller, mountain cheese — all grated together. It can be as strong as you like.
- For children, swap the wine for milk and pick a milder cheese. For most of them the fried egg is the best bit.
What can I substitute?
Raclette cheese melts creamiest, mountain cheese is more pungent. Fondue cheese mixes work too.
Alcohol-free for children. Milk makes it milder, stock more savoury — both keep the bread moist.
The vegetarian mountain-hut classics: tomato and mushroom versions. Drain the tomatoes briefly first.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Käseschnitte and cheese on toast?
The white wine in the bread and the cheese mixed with milk and flour. Together they make Käseschnitte moist and creamy, where cheese on toast can turn dry and oily. The fried egg is the finishing touch, not compulsory.
Which bread for Käseschnitte?
Day-old farmhouse, dark or half-white bread, in finger-thick slices. Sandwich bread is too soft and small. Zopf works but turns sweetish.
Can I prepare Käseschnitte ahead?
Topped slices keep a few hours covered in the fridge. Bake only just before eating — reheated, the cheese turns rubbery.
What goes with Käseschnitte?
Gherkins, pickled onions and a green salad with a sharp dressing — a bit of acidity against the rich cheese. White wine or tea with it, as with fondue.
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