Fairy bread: it’s been the staple of Australian birthday parties for decades. And with only three ingredients required to make every kid’s party dream come true, you’d think it impossible to mess up. But you’d be wrong.
For my daughter’s recent birthday, I gave her the choice of anything she wanted for afternoon tea. Naturally she chose fairy bread.
Winning, I thought. So much easier to make than cupcakes.
How not to make fairy bread
We didn’t have white bread, so I had to use wholemeal. And we were running really low on butter, but it didn’t matter because I found peanut butter and Nutella in the pantry. This must be her lucky day, I thought.This will taste far better than just butter.
I wasn’t born in Australia, so I missed out on the early years of Dolly Varden cakes and the simple pleasure of hundreds and thousands on buttery bread. I also missed out on the lesson that you don’t mess with a culinary institution.
The verdict on bad fairy bread
When I served up the ‘fairy bread’ it was met with horrified looks all round.
“This is NOT fairy bread,” said my daughter. “What IS this, Mum?
“This is like nutty sprinkle bread,” said her sister. “But why are the sprinkles not the little round ones?”
Disappointed, they both gave it a taste, but their verdicts were a big thumbs down. Apparently the combo of wholemeal bread plus the Nutella and peanut butter overpowered the taste of the hundreds and thousands. And, as I’ve now learned, fairy bread is ALL about the crunch of the topping and the softness of the white bread.
So, what’s the best way to make fairy bread? Check out our tips for the best-ever fairy bread below.
How to make the best fairy bread: 4 golden rules
The bread. It has to be the soft white sliced sandwich bread. No seeds, grains, or bits children may find offensive. And definitely not sourdough (it pays to know your crowd).
The spread. Butter or margarine. Not peanut butter, chocolate spread or jam or any other kind of spread.
The topping. It turns out sprinkles and hundreds and thousands are not interchangeable. If you’re making traditional fairy bread you need the round kind for those unmistakable little explosions of rainbow sugariness when you first bite into it.
The shape. Triangles, not squares. It’s tempting to go fancy and cut the bread out with cookie cutters but there’s really no need. Plus, it’s a waste of good bread.
Ingredients:
- 10 slices fresh white sandwich bread
- 100g butter, at room temperature (we like to use salted butter to offset the sweetness of the topping)
- 185g (3/4 cup) hundreds and thousands
Method:
- Step 1: Spread the bread slices evenly with butter. Cut into triangles.
- Step 2: Place the hundreds and thousands on a plate. Press the bread, buttered-side down, into the hundreds and thousands to coat. Serve.
Does fairy bread taste good?
Ask most children and the answer would be a big fat yes! (And a lot of adults still like it, too.) The contrast in textures between the topping and the bread is another thing kids love, as well as the slight saltiness of the butter paired with the sweetness of the hundreds and thousands.
Do you cut the crusts off fairy bread?
Traditionally, no. If you’re following the classic recipe, keep the crusts on. It’ll save time and mess in the long run (and fairy bread is supposed to be the ultimate quick party food after all).
Who invented fairy bread?
The first printed mention of fairy bread was in Tasmanian newspaper The Mercury in 1929. The dish was being served at a children’s party at a hospital in Hobart (although the name of the first person to create it still remains a mystery).
Crazy twists on fairy bread
FAQs
Fairy bread dates all the way back to the 1920s in Australia, where the recipe was first mentioned in The Hobart Mercury newspaper. The article describes children consuming fairy bread at a party. Since that time fairy bread has been particular to children's birthday parties in both Australia and New Zealand.
Why is fairy bread only eaten in Australia? ›
Fairy bread dates all the way back to the 1920s in Australia, where the recipe was first mentioned in The Hobart Mercury newspaper. The article describes children consuming fairy bread at a party. Since that time fairy bread has been particular to children's birthday parties in both Australia and New Zealand.
Will fairy bread keep overnight? ›
We want our bread to be fresh and making it the night before causes the colours of the 100s and 1000s to bleed into the butter. When preparing for a children's party you need a time plan, so you're allowed to prepare the fairy bread up to two hours beforehand. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.
Is fairy bread actually good? ›
It has a fun, colorful appearance and a delicious sweet flavor with notes of saltiness from the butter. Plus, it has a unique texture.
Is fairy bread made with butter or margarine reddit? ›
100% correct. Fairy Bread is traditionly made with white sandwich bread, spread with real butter and either sprinkled with 100's & 1000's or placed, buttered side down, onto a flat surface covered with 100's & 1000's. Bread must be fresh too. Definitely butter, never margarine.
Do they eat fairy bread in America? ›
It's certainly not unusual to have never heard of fairy bread here in the United States, but take a trip across the Pacific and you'd be hard-pressed to find a true-blue Aussie who has never eaten or prepared this classic kids' party delicacy.
Do other countries eat fairy bread? ›
Fairy bread is sliced white bread spread with butter or margarine and covered with "Hundreds and Thousands", often served at children's parties in Australia and New Zealand.
What do Australians call sprinkles? ›
The Australian term for sprinkles is also called “100's and 1000's” (pronounced hundreds and thousands). The bread is commonly served at children's parties and every single bakery in Australia and New Zealand.
Why do they call it fairy bread? ›
The origin of the term is not known, but it may come from the poem 'Fairy Bread' in Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses published in 1885, and had been used for a number of different food items before the current usage.”
What is another name for fairy bread? ›
The hundreds and thousands name seems to be a British, Australian and New Zealand term. In America, similar products are called Sprinkles or, in parts of the north-east, Jimmies. However, the name Fairy Bread is purely antipodean.
Foods to avoid when starting solids
Well, number one is fairy bread, closely followed by buttercream icing. But there are a few other things you should also steer clear of. Honey - as it can have bacteria that may make your baby sick.
Do bakeries use butter or margarine? ›
Butter is the favoured fat to use in cakes and bakes and we use unsalted butter for all of our cakes in the bakeries. It is made from churned cream, a process that separates the butterfat from the buttermilk.
What happens if I use margarine instead of butter in bread? ›
When it comes to taste, baked goods made with butter have much more flavor than baked goods made with margarine. Margarine also has a much higher water content than butter which yields a softer-textured result, while butter yields chewier results.
Is fairy bread NZ or Australia? ›
Ever since it was first mentioned in a Tasmanian newspaper in 1929, fairy bread was adopted throughout Australia and New Zealand as the ultimate kids' party dish. It's easy to make, doesn't cost much, only requires 3 ingredients and always makes children wide-eyed with excitement.
What is fairy bread called in Australia? ›
What is Fairy Bread? It's an old-fashioned Australian snack made from white bread, butter and sprinkles, more commonly known as 100s and 1000s (hundreds and thousands) in Australia.
Why is bread banned in other countries? ›
American bread is banned in Europe because of certain chemicals that are considered carcinogens. The European Union (EU) has strict food safety regulations that prohibit the use of specific additives and ingredients found in some American food products, including bread.
What is Vegemite made of? ›
Vegemite is made of brewer's yeast, a by-product of beer production, and vegetable extract, to which are added salt, malt extract, and a range of B vitamins including niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin. It has a dark-brown colour and is the consistency of a firm jelly.
