Is fairy bread Australian?

It’s been around for way longer than I first thought!

Split screen fairy bread

Fairy bread is an iconic Australian party food. Those sweet 100s and 1000s layered onto buttery white bread make for the perfect, magical party snack. I loved it as a kid – always my go-to, even over chocolate crackle (controversial, I know) – and I still love it now. But did you know that it’s been around for almost a century?! Mind blown.

Fairy bread: let’s take it back 95 years

Fairy bread was my childhood. A permanent fixture at every backyard birthday party, I looked forward to it as much as I looked forward to those sugar-filled lolly bags handed out at the end of the celebration. I always thought fairy bread was a fairly new invention (maybe first created in the 80s or 90s), so I was in for quite a surprise when I learnt that it actually has origins in the 1920s, almost a century ago!

The first mention of fairy bread was made in Tasmanian newspaper, the Mercury on ANZAC Day 1929. We actually managed to get hold of a screenshot of it:

Within the story, the snack was offered at a party hosted for sick children at a hospital in Hobart. Specific mention is given to the beloved bread, butter and 100s and 1000s that make up the iconic party food – all unchanged for almost 100 years. As the saying goes, if it isn’t broken…

Who invented fairy bread?

While the name of the genius inventor is unknown, we do know it was first officially brought into our vernacular and coined as a party treat in 1929. Previous research from our Taste team reveals that ‘fairy bread’ was the name originally used to describe wafer-thin crispy toast served with soup. This is quite a far cry from the fairy bread we know and love today, so it’s clear we have our friends in Tassie to thank for creating the delicious sweet treat that’s been enjoyed by Aussie kids for generations.

What is fairy bread?

For those who aren’t familiar, fairy bread is a popular Australian children’s party food, made of soft white sliced bread slathered in butter (or margarine) and covered with colourful 100s and 1000s. And yes, although there are only three ingredients to this sweet party essential, there is a right and wrong way to make the classic Aussie snack.

How to make fairy bread

So, how do you go about making fairy bread in the right way, to get maximum flavour and the ultimate taste of nostalgia? There are a few unwritten rules when it comes to putting together the colourful treat:

• Soft, white, sliced bread is the only acceptable bread to use. It definitely can’t be toasted and don’t even think of the ‘w’ word (wholemeal).
• The bread can only be covered in butter or margarine, and when it comes to butter, it needs to be regular ol’ butter, not the peanut variety, as one of our Taste team members learnt the hard way.
• The 100s and 1000s MUST be round – none of those long sprinkles. It’s just not the same.
• Fairy bread cut into triangles is the way to go. It just tastes better that way.

The perfect fairy bread recipe

At taste.com.au, we have a few tried and tested recipes to help you make the most magical fairy bread, including the perfect ratio of ingredients for the snack. Uncover our secret formula here.

Ready to level up your fairy bread game?

Here are a few fairy bread-inspired recipes to try out:

• Fairy bread lamington
• Fairy bread layered sponge
• Fairy bread Weet-Bix slice

Originally published as Is fairy bread Australian?