Happy Sunday! My husband is in town for a visit over the long weekend. He is across the country doing some training, and we sure do miss him when he is gone. I decided to whip up one of my favorite breakfasts while he is here, french toast! I love to make this with brioche, challah, or sourdough bread. Any of these breads can be used for this recipe. This will make 8-10 1” thick slices, and this recipe is probably a bit different than your standard “dip and cook” method. I promise you, every step is worth it. Here we go!
French Toast
You will need:
- 1 loaf of brioche, challah, or sourdough bread cut into 1 inch thick slices
- 6 large eggs
- 1 c milk
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 tsp orange zest (optional, but delicious!)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4-6 tbsp butter
In a blender or large bowl, add the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Blend or beat with a mixer until it is thoroughly combined. You do not want to see any egg whites separate from the yolks. Pour this mixture into a 9×13 dish.
Slice your bread into 1” thick slices. Dip one side into the custard mixture and then flip it over and nestle it into the dish. Repeat with all of the bread slices. They are not going to fit all nice and pretty into the dish in a single layer. You will end up with some layered on top of each other, and that is totally okay. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge overnight, or for at least 8 hours. This will ensure that the bread absorbs all of the custard mixture.
Once you are ready to cook, warm a skillet over low heat. Let it warm for 10 minutes, or until butter lightly sizzles on the surface. You do not want this to be too hot or the french toast will be very brown on the outside and uncooked on the inside. Melt 1-2 tbsp of butter in the skillet. Gently lay the french toast right on top of it. The soaked bread will feel like a dense sponge. This is exactly what you want!
The french toast needs to cook at a low heat for 5-7 minutes per side (if your stove knobs have numbers- put it at a 2 or a 2.5). To ensure a nice even cooking process, flip the french toast and rotate it around the pan every 2-3 minutes. Once the french toast feels firm and is golden brown on the outside, take it out and proceed to cook the other pieces. I can fit 3-4 pieces in my skillet at once. I would avoid adding anymore than that unless you have an awesome griddle pan that has a lot of space. If the french toast is getting too brown, reduce your heat. There shouldn’t be any dark brown spots on it at all if you are cooking it at the right temp.
You can keep these warm in a 200 degree oven, or you can serve them as they cook. I like to add fruit, maple syrup, and a light dusting of powdered sugar to ours. However, these are great without anything on them.
I hope you love this recipe! It is a favorite in our house, and it’s quite convenient to make. You just prep it the night before and go straight to cooking when you are ready.
Lots of love and many blessings,
Chelsea
Rejoice and be glad;
your reward will be great in heaven.
Luke 6:23
The Catholic Kitchen 