A while back, on my way to upstate NY, I enjoyed some french toast at a restaurant that I hadn’t been to previously. I can’t recall exactly where the restaurant was, but I do know that the french toast was a-maz-ing. Has that ever happened to you? You take a chance on a new diner or small family-owned place and are simply wowed by the food? I just love when that happens!
Since having the a-maz-ing french toast, I’ve been on a quest to recreate it. After digging a bit, I’ve come to learn that the best strategy to get that ideal combination of crispy outside with custard-like inside involves the use of a few distinct steps that include the use butter on the stovetop to begin developing the golden crust, the use of dry (not moist) bread to facilitate adequate soaking, and the use of an oven to finish off baking the inside of the bread.
Soaking the bread thoroughly is also needed to ensure that the bread is adequately saturated – a dry middle would be far from ideal. The contrasting textures of this french toast make this a go-to breakfast recipe for me on a Sunday morning.
Source: Modified from Chef John’s Food Wishes Video Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of unsliced bread
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of milk
- sugar , 1 tablespoon
- cinnamon , 1 teaspoon
- vanilla , 1 teaspoon
- Butter
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees
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Cut bread loaf into 1/2 slices
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Combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla
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Soak each piece of bread in the egg mixture thoroughly while turning the bread slices several times in the egg mixture
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Using medium-high heat, melt a tablespoon of butter in pan and lightly brown the bread (use additional butter as needed), about 3 minutes per side
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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)
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Serve with pancake syrup and powdered sugar
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