French Toast

Recipe by PJ Hamel
51 Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars

When this French toast recipe was tested, it was met with universal acclaim. "This is the best French toast I've ever tasted," sums up most of the comments. The difference between this and everyday, run-of-the-mill French toast? The quality of the ingredients. Start with a high-rising, sturdy, tasty bread; challah is a particularly good choice, as is English Muffin Toasting Bread. (If it's a few days old, that's even better — stale bread absorbs more of the rich custard.) Whatever bread you use, slice it thick: We found 5/8" to be just about right. Bathe it in cream and eggs accented with nutmeg, vanilla, and a touch of rum. Sauté it gently in butter; keep it warm in a hot oven, then serve it on warmed plates with sifted sugar and maple syrup. 

Prep
25 mins
Bake
6 to 8 mins
Total
31 mins
Yield
6 servings
French Toast
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Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and set aside. Place the butter and vegetable oil in a heavy skillet, and set it to heat over medium heat. Alternatively, heat an electric griddle to 300°F.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, nutmeg, sugar, rum, and vanilla. Stir until smooth but not foamy. Pour the batter into a shallow casserole dish or square pan that's large enough to hold two pieces of bread snugly.

  3. Place two pieces of bread in the pan; let them soak for about 30 seconds, then turn them over, and let soak for about 30 seconds on the other side. You want the bread to absorb some of the liquid, but not to become soggy.

  4. Place the bread in the skillet or on the griddle, and fry until both sides are golden brown; this should take about 2 minutes on each side.

  5. Transfer the French toast to the baking sheet and place it in the preheated oven. Allow it to remain in the oven while you cook the remaining pieces.

  6. When all the pieces are cooked, serve the French toast with soft butter and maple syrup. Or dust it with confectioners' sugar, cinnamon sugar, or Maple Cinnamon French Toast Sugar, if desired.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Want to make a delicious holiday French toast? Substitute eggnog for the 3/4 cup (170g) cream called for in the recipe.

  • Ordinarily, you'd consider 2 to 3 pieces of French toast a single serving, but this particular recipe is so rich, and each slice of bread is big and thick enough, that we consider one piece a serving, particularly if you add fresh fruit and/or some breakfast ham, bacon, or sausage.

  • Want to make excellent French toast but without standing at the stove, flipping slices of bread? Try our recipe for Sheet-Pan French Toast, an excellent way to make French toast for a crowd in the same amount of time it takes to make one slice on the stovetop.

  • For an overnight version of French toast that can be prepared the night before, then baked in the morning (without any additional prep work from you!), make our Overnight French Toast recipe. It's low-fuss and delivers everything you love about classic French toast.

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