French Toast
Thick slices of sturdy bread soaked in a quick cinnamon-vanilla custard and pan-fried until golden, ready in about 15 minutes.
5 MIN PREP10 MIN COOK15 MIN TOTALSERVES 3
French toast began as a clever way to rescue stale bread, and it is still one of the easiest weekend breakfasts you can make. Day-old, sturdy bread holds up best, while very soft sandwich bread soaks up too much egg. A pinch of cinnamon and a splash of vanilla make it taste like a treat, and it scales up easily for a crowd.
Recipe adapted from Wikibooks Cookbook (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Ocdp, CC0 1.0. This adaptation is shared under the same license.
Serves 3 · Units: As written
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 6 slices sturdy bread, such as sourdough, challah or brioche
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp butter, for the pan
To serve
- maple syrup
- fresh berries
- powdered sugar
Steps
- Whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and salt together in a shallow dish until no streaks of egg white remain.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and coat it with a little of the butter. Gentle heat matters: too hot and the outside scorches before the middle sets.
- Dip a slice of bread into the egg mixture and turn it once, just until both sides are coated and it has soaked up some of the custard. Sturdy bread can sit for a few extra seconds; softer bread needs only a quick dunk or it turns soggy.
- Cook the slices in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, until both sides are browned and the center is cooked through. Add more butter to the pan between batches.
- Serve right away with maple syrup, fresh berries or a dusting of powdered sugar.