French Toast Recipe

Having French Toast for breakfast is a treat, and the recipe I am sharing with you today ensures making this treat even better. The best French toast recipe is the one that has the right amount of spices and has a custard-like texture. This French Toast has crispy edges and a custard-like center; you can serve it with fresh berries, maple syrup, or honey. In this post, I will also teach you how to make this treat in a casserole and bake it in the oven! Follow the step-by-step images below.

Classic French Toast

I have tested different versions of French Toast, some were sweet others were savory, but the recipe I have for you today is the best I ever made. You can use any bread you have at home, and you will still get a great result. The secret to making a good French toast is removing it from heat when it’s golden from the outside. Overcooking will make it tasteless, and undercooking will result in a runny center that you want to avoid. Keep the heat on medium and be patient.

The ngredients you need

Bread – It is best to use a day or two old bread; it will soak in the custard and hold its shape while frying. I like to use Brioche bread, but you can use regular sandwich bread.

Eggs – Large eggs.

Sugar – I like to use raw sugar, but you can go for brown sugar or the sweetener you prefer.

Nutmeg.

Cinnamon.

Vanilla – Although I like the flavor of the vanilla in this recipe, you can go for lemon or orange zest or even leave out the vanilla and stick with the flavor coming from the spices mentioned above.

Milk – Sometimes, I mix heavy cream with milk, but I skip the heavy cream if I’m using a rich bread like Brioche. You can use almond milk or soy milk. Try coconut milk if you want to stay close to the original taste and not use regular milk.

Butter – In this recipe using salted or unsalted butter is fine since the custard has sugar, and later the French Toast will be drizzled with honey or maple syrup.

The best bread to use

I will always go for Brioche since it’s already a delicious bread on its own, but Challah is lighter and still give the same rich flavor as when using Brioche.

White sandwich bread can be used but make sure it is at least two days old, or it might break while making the French Toast. A tip I learned to use fresh bread in making French Toast is toasting the bread, not to change its color but toast it just enough to lose the moisture and become a little crisp!

My second favorite is multigrain brown bread. You get a little crunch from the nuts and the bread won’t break when soaked in the custard. Avoid bread with a lot of salt or flavors like olives and onions.

How to make French Toast

Using one bowl to mix all the ingredients and dip the bread makes cleaning easy. Use cast iron if available it gives the French Toast a beautiful golden color, and the heat is distributed evenly.

• In a bowl, add all the spices and vanilla. Add in the eggs and beat until well combined.
• Pour the milk over the previous mixture and mix well.
• Heat a cast-iron or a shallow pan, add to it butter and a little oil to prevent the butter from burning.
• Dip the bread slice in the custard mixture prepared and fry it.
• When the bottom of the bread is golden, flip and cook the other side, French Toast is delicate, and you must give it time to cook evenly and slowly on medium heat to prevent it from burning from the outside and staying raw inside.
• Cook the French Toast over medium heat to allow the custard to cook completely.
• If you are not serving the French Toast immediately, place it in a preheated oven for a few minutes before serving.

Delicious toppings variations

Caramelized banana.

Honey butter sauce.

Blueberry syrup.

Butterscotch sauce and cream. (This one is rich and heavy).

Bacon and maple syrup.

How to make French Toast in a casserole

To save time, you can make this delicious French Toast in the oven.

Heat the oven to 350F/180C. Generously grease a casserole with butter.

Dip the slices of bread one by one in the custard mixture and place them in the casserole.

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake on the middle shelf for 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover the casserole and continue baking for another 15 minutes. You can flip the French Toast to get that golden color and crispy texture, but you can also turn on the broiler and cook it until golden and crisp.

Make-Ahead

1. You can prepare the custard mixture in the evening and refrigerate it overnight.
2. Refrigerate the cooked French Toast by placing them in an airtight container first and then refrigerate them for up to 3 days.
3. I do not recommend freezing, but you can freeze it for up to 2 months. To thaw the frozen French Toast, place it in the fridge overnight, or immediately and while frozen, put it in a preheated oven.