How to Make French Toast

What is The Best Type of Bread for French Toast?

Using the best bread is the most important part of any amazing French Toast! Whatever bread you use, make sure it’s sliced about 3/4-inch thick to achieve that pillowy interior but caramelized exterior. Thick slices of bread are key.

• My absolute go-to is good quality Challah bread. Not all grocery store Challah bread is created equally, so take a look at the ingredient label to see if the ingredients are simple. If there are a bunch of weird additives, avoid it.
• If you can’t find Challah, use Brioche. It’s even richer than Challah, which can be too much for some people in the morning.
• Alternatively, use thick-cut Texas toast bread. It’s sturdy enough to hold up to the custard batter coating and frying.

Why Use Whole Eggs and Egg Yolks?

This French Toast recipe calls for 3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks. The egg whites are what contain those distinct sulfur compounds that make things taste “eggy.” So by reducing the whole eggs and bumping up the egg yolks, we’re getting enough moisture and richness – but not creating French Toast that basically tastes like scrambled eggs.

Be sure to use large eggs (about 56 grams in shell) – larger or smaller eggs will produce different results.

How to Soak Your French Toast Before Cooking

Be sure to soak your bread for enough time! Let the slices of bread relax in the custard mixture for at least a few minutes.

If you like French Toast that has more of a bread pudding texture, let it soak for even longer – up to 15 minutes.

Note: Soak your bread for less time if using a more delicate bread, or a bread that’s sliced thinner than 3/4-inch thick.

How to Avoid SOGGY French Toast

The story goes that French Toast, or Pain Perdu, was invented to use up day-old bread. Modern bread is manufactured to prevent staling, so day-old bread is a different concept.

However, that nearly-stale bread is what makes for the best French Toast recipe that remains light and fluffy instead of becoming soggy from the richness of the egg-and-milk mixture.

How to Dry Bread for French Toast

For this recipe, I took a tip from Cooks Illustrated and slightly “dry out” the bread on a baking sheet in the oven at a very low heat while preparing the remaining ingredients. This allows the bread to soak in just the right amount of custard to be rich and fluffy without getting weighed down.

So if you use the right kind of bread, dry it out slightly, and then follow the tips in the next heading below, you’ll be sure to have perfect French Toast!

How to Make Crispy, Golden Brown French Toast

When I say crispy, I mean caramelized and golden brown at the edges while still light and fluffy inside. I find this comes down to frying technique:

• Use a combination of butter and oil to fry: The butter provides flavor, and the milk solids help to create caramelization. However, using only butter often leads to French Toast that’s burnt on the exterior and undercooked on the interior. That’s because those milk solids can brown very quickly. So the combination of butter + oil is the perfect solution.
• A small amount of brown sugar in the batter: This helps to create those caramelized lacy exteriors.
• Medium heat when frying: Too low, and you won’t get any caramelization, and you’ll end up with limp, sad French Toast. Too high, and it’ll burn on the outside and be soggy on the inside.