How to Make Crispy French Toast
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Imagine waking up to the aroma of buttery, cinnamon-sprinkled French toast. Crisp on the outside, custard-like on the inside, this homemade French toast is just perfect. Make it for a leisurely weekend brunch or to celebrate a special occasion, even better when drizzled with maple syrup and paired with fresh fruit or a dollop of whipped cream.
Ingredients
The ingredients for French toast are pretty classic. We suggest using a loaf of unsliced bread so that you can make your slices thicker.
Choice of Bread: Opt for a dense, rich bread like brioche, challah, or Pullman loaf. These types of bread have a high fat content and sturdy structure that soaks up the egg mixture well without falling apart. Slightly stale bread (1-2 days old) is better than fresh because it absorbs more of the egg mixture without becoming soggy.
Fat: To prevent the butter from burning, cook the French toast in a mixture of butter and a little neutral oil (like canola). This combination allows you to cook at a higher heat, resulting in a crispy outside without sacrificing the creamy inside.
Cornstarch: Adding cornstarch to French toast batter enhances the dish by creating a crispier exterior while maintaining a tender, custard-like interior. It also aids in achieving an even, golden-brown finish and thickens the batter.
Variations
- For an extra decadent version, consider adding a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half to the egg mixture.
- For a lighter version, use low-fat milk and fewer eggs, adjusting the ratio to suit your preference.
Step-by-Step Method
Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and slicing a loaf of bread into half-inch pieces.
Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and vanilla to prepare a rich, flavorful batter. This mixture is key to creating your French toast’s custard-like interior and sweetly spiced flavor profile.
Dip each bread slice into the batter, ensuring both sides are well-coated. For fresher bread, a shorter soak is sufficient to prevent sogginess.
Next, brown the soaked slices in a skillet with butter and oil over medium-high heat, achieving a light, crispy exterior. Finish the cooking process by baking the browned bread on a sheet pan in the oven for 12 to 14 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Tips and Technique
Some recipes, like French toast, are also about the technique in addition to the actual ingredients!
Here’s how to achieve that perfect balance of crispy exterior and creamy, custard-like interior:
- Egg to Milk Ratio: A good starting point is 1 egg to about ¼ cup of milk (60ml) for each slice of bread. This ratio ensures a rich, custardy interior. Feel free to adjust based on preference; more egg will make it richer and denser, more milk will make it lighter.
- Adding Flavor: Enhance the custard mixture with vanilla extract, a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg, and a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors. For sweetness, add a tablespoon of sugar, maple syrup, or honey to the custard mix.
- Soaking Time: Soak time depends on the thickness and dryness of the bread. Thick, dense slices from breads like brioche can handle longer soaking times—up to a few minutes per side. Make sure the bread is fully saturated but not falling apart. For drier breads, a longer soak is beneficial to achieve the creamy interior.
- Cooking Technique: Use a non-stick skillet or griddle for even cooking. Cast iron pans are excellent for getting that crispy exterior. Don’t overcrowd the pan—cook in batches if necessary to ensure each slice has enough room to breathe and crisp up properly.
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📖 Recipe
Crispy French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf unsliced bread
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp sugar with a pinch of salt (optional)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tbsp Butter (may need extra)
- 3 tbsp canola oil or other neutral flavored oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cut bread loaf into 1/2-inch slices
- Combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and vanilla
- Soak each piece of bread thoroughly in the egg mixture for 20 to 30 seconds while turning the slices several times in the egg mixture. For softer or fresher bread, soak less.
- Using medium-high heat, melt a tablespoon of butter and oil in a pan and lightly brown the bread (add more butter as necessary between batches), about 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer lightly browned bread to sheet pan, bake for 6 minutes, then flip each piece over and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes (12 to 15 minutes total)
- Serve with pancake syrup and powdered sugar
Just wanted to let you know that in the directions it states to cook over medium-high heat. But, in the ‘Tips and Techniques’ section, you have low and slow is recommended. So, just in case others get confused.
Wow! This the best French toast I have ever made! The crispy outside is wonderful and the custard inside is delicious despite only using cinnamon and vanilla for flavor. I used homemade white bread I made in my bread maker (also my first successful bread!) and cut them about 3/4 inch thick. I’ll be bookmarking this recipe. Thank you!
Good recipe, but wow! So many intrusive and distracting ads. Don’t even feel like reading till the end!
Not much different than pan fried
What kind of bread do you recommend.
My favorite is thick slices of brioche – But any thick sliced bread will do
Thank you, I’ll try the brioche bread.
In your crispy French toast recipe which are the critical ingredients and/or process that gives the crispy exterior?
I’d say the low prolonged heat
Very easy and tasty!
Kids loved it
I wonder if you’re thinking of the Roscoe diner. They have incredible French toast.
I can’t remember but I’d love to try it and see next time I’m around there! Thanks for the tip