How to Make French Toast

How to Make French Toast

Here are all the tips you need to make the best French toast recipe that your family will be begging you for every Sunday morning brunch.

Ingredients for the BEST French toast recipe:

• Bread – I share my favorite breads below.
• Eggs and egg yolks – large eggs provide moisture and richness.
• Whole milk – I highly recommend using whole milk. You could experiment with alternatives like almond milk or oat milk if you need to make French toast without milk or dairy-free, but the results won’t be the same.
• Grated orange zest – optional, but provides amazing flavor.
• Vanilla extract – helps flavor the French toast.
• Brown sugar – caramelizes the French toast.
• Fine sea salt – a pinch of salt balances out the sweetness.
• Unsalted butter and vegetable oil – for frying!
• Maple syrup – it’s not French toast without real maple syrup!

What is the best bread for French toast?

This 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 the key to the best French toast.

• 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’s a bunch of weird additives and food like substances, it probably won’t do your French toast many favors.
• My second favorite type of sandwich breads would be Brioche. It’s even richer than Challah which can be too much for some people in the morning.
• My third favorite would be thick cut Texas toast bread. It’s sturdy enough to hold up to the custard batter coating and frying.

Why use egg yolks and whole eggs for French toast?

You’ll see in this recipe I call for 3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks. The egg whites are what contain those distinct sulfur compounds that make things tasty “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.

How to make French toast in 5 steps:

1. Dry out the bread.
2. Whisk together the wet ingredients.
3. Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture and allow to soak through on each side.
4. Heat the butter in a skillet.
5. Cook the soaked bread on each side. Serve with maple syrup and enjoy.

Do you soak your French toast before cooking?

Be sure to soak your French toast 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 texture of bread pudding, let it soak for even longer, up to 15 minutes.

How to avoid SOGGY French toast:

The story goes that French toast, or Pain Perdu, was invented to use up day-old bread. We now live in a modern society where most bread is manufactured in a way to prevent staling, so day-old bread is a different kind of concept.

However, that nearly stale bread is what makes for the best French toast 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

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 and 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.

I like to use a combination of butter and oil to fry my French toast in. The butter provides flavor and the milk solids help to create caramelization. However, oftentimes using only butter can lead the French toast to getting 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 also helps to create those caramelized lacey exteriors.

You’ll want to make sure to stay around medium heat when frying French toast for the exact same reason. Too low, and you won’t get any caramelization and you’ll end up with limp sad slices. Too high, and you’ll get toast that’s burnt on the outside and soggy on the inside.

How do I make flavorful French toast?

I love to use a hint of orange zest and vanilla to round out the flavors of my French toast. Feel free to omit the orange zest if you prefer or add a splash of Grand Marnier instead. You can also use a sprinkle of cinnamon!

The other key ingredient is high quality vanilla extract. You’ll also want to use quality milk and eggs. I usually go for pasture-raised.

Lastly, be sure to use real maple syrup for serving! It makes such a difference.

Topping ideas for French toast recipe:

• Maple syrup, of course!
• Whipped cream
• Fresh berries – strawberries, blueberries, etc.
• Powdered sugar
• Peanut butter
• Nutella

Can French toast be made ahead of time?

You can keep slices of cooked French toast warm in a low oven for up to 1 hour. I find French toast is best served soon after it’s made. If you need to make it ahead of time you might be better off with a casserole style recipe like this Lemon Blueberry Overnight French Toast.