French Toast

French toast– it’s a Sunday morning favorite in our house and after years of tinkering with egg to milk to sugar ratios, I am finally sharing “the one”. I like my french toast thick with a good texture; crunchy on the outside and tender, but not soggy on the inside. The bread that soaks up the custard makes a big difference as well.

The best bread I have found is challah or brioche. If you are a regular reader, you might have already figured that I use my Homemade Challah. It bakes up big, with a buttery, sweet flavor and a crumb that soaks up the custard just right. I add some vanilla, brown sugar, and a touch of ground cinnamon for sweetness and spice. Since we are a family of five, I fry up a large batch and refrigerate or freeze any leftovers for a quick weekday breakfast that warms up nicely in the toaster. If you do not want a large batch, you can certainly halve the recipe.

I like to use a cast-iron skillet to fry up the soaked bread slices. It makes for a golden, crunchy crust. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with a good drizzle of real maple syrup.

French Toast

By Nicole Prep: 10 minsCook: 20 minsTotal: 30 mins Servings: 12 slices Perfectly pan-fried French Toast with a custardy center and crispy edges!

Ingredients 

• 12 large slices of day-old challah, homemade or good quality
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Butter for frying
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Accompaniments

• Powdered Sugar
• Maple syrup

Instructions 

1. In a shallow bowl or baking pan, whisk together the eggs. Add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt and whisk until well blended. Turn the bread slices, two at a time, in the egg mixture until thoroughly saturated, but not falling apart, about 20 seconds per side. Heat a large skillet (I like to use a cast-iron) over medium to medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. When foaming subsides, add the soaked bread slices and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the bread and continue to cook until the second side is golden brown, another 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200ºF oven while you finish the remaining bread slices. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 293mg, Potassium: 142mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 280IU, Vitamin C: 0.003mg, Calcium: 102mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.