How to Make the Perfect French toast

How to Make the Perfect French Toast

French toast is a brunch staple. The basic recipe consists of bread soaked in a mixture of beaten eggs and milk, which is then fried. Sounds simple and really it is. When prepared properly French toast is a thick, slightly sweetened slice of joy that is crunchy (even crispy) on the outside with a velvety custard-like center. When done poorly it is soggy and under cooked on the inside with little burned pieces of char on the outside, surrounded by rubbery scrambled eggs with a sickeningly sweet start and an eggy, sulfuric finish. I’m here to help.

The first step to making Perfect French Toast begins with picking the right kind of bread. I prefer to use challah bread, but brioche is also good. These breads are sturdy and don’t tend to fall apart when soaked in the egg mixture. Always buy a whole loaf and then slice it at home. Use a serrated knife to slice the bread into 1 to 1 ¼ inch portions. You can leave the slices out for a while because dry bread will soak up more of the egg mixture.

The egg mixture is the second step. The trick? Only use yolks. I know that separating eggs is a pain. I also know that this requires more eggs, more work and more time. The finished product will be worth the trouble. Egg whites are responsible for the aftertaste of sulfur. Just save the whites and make an egg white omelet for tomorrow’s brunch. Whisk the yolks with whole milk. Let’s face it, this is not diet food. It is more like dessert for breakfast, so use full fat milk. The fat helps make the custard fluffy. Trust me. How many eggs? How much milk? I usually use 3 yolks and ¼ cup milk for 2 slices of toast. Remember the toast is thick.  Make sure to whisk like crazy. You want the custard to be custard and not scrambled eggs.

This next step is really a matter of personal taste. What else should you add to the custard? If you plan to serve the toast with syrup or fruit you can just add a pinch of salt and go for it. However, I know this is supposed to be decadent. And I know everyone adds sugar. So, do that. Add sugar. But use powdered sugar. Granulated sugar can burn and give you a charred taste or cause the outside of the toast to cook before the inside is finished. To give your toast a little flair, add in a splash of vanilla extract or a good rum, bourbon or liqueur. Not too much or that will be all you can taste. Soak the bread in the custard mixture. I put each piece into the bowl and sort of press it down into the custard for 30 seconds and then flip it over and do the same thing on the other side. Take the bread out of the custard and allow the excess to drip back into the dish. You don’t want the bread to be dripping nor do you want any part of it to be dry. Now we toast.

Before I start cooking the bread, I place a wire rack over a cookie sheet and put that into a 250˚ oven. To fry the bread, you should use both butter and light vegetable oil. The butter is for the taste and the vegetable oil is to stop the butter from burning. Heat the fats in a cast iron or other non-stick skillet over medium heat. If the skillet is too hot, the outside will burn before the center is cooked. If the skillet is too cool, the egg mixture will spread out and make an egg ‘foot’ around the toast. The foot is the rubbery scrambled egg that surrounds not great French toast. When the butter has completely melted lay the toast, sides not touching, into the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until the outside is golden and edges are just starting to crisp. Flip and toast the other side. Place each finished piece of toast onto the rack in the oven. The oven will keep the toast warm and the rack ensures that both sides are crispy. Don’t leave the toast in the oven for too long, however, or it will dry out. Wipe the pan out between slices of toast. If you don’t the little bits of egg from the previous toast will burn and make your Perfect French Toast into mediocre French toast that is covered in little, burned bits of egg.

Now you have something special, the Perfect French Toast. This toast is so rich, that usually I can only eat one slice. I’m lying to you. I eat 2 slices and rest and come back for more. Before serving, I put powdered sugar (and sometimes cinnamon) into a small strainer and tap it gently over the toast. The sugar falls like sweet, powdery snow. Then I top the toast with fruit and a little honey or whipped cream. Or I just pick up a piece and walk around the kitchen eating it like a cookie. You do you. But try this. You'll never be willing to eat mediocre French toast again.

The Perfect French Toast