Classic French Toast Recipe With The Best Results

Classic French Toast Recipe

Classic French Toast Recipe

Updated on 5/8/2024
Natalia MarinBy Natalia Marin
Natalia Marin
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Classic french toast recipe is quite adaptable and may be reworked into a wide variety of more advanced recipes because of its ease of use. This specific recipe is adaptable to a wide variety of bread, including but not limited to white bread, whole wheat bread, brioche, cinnamon-raisin bread, Italian bread, or French bread. When ready to serve the pancakes, drizzle the top with melted butter, margarine, or maple syrup while the pancakes are still warm.

If you were looking for a recipe for French toast that is certain to be the best one you can find anywhere, you have found your way to the correct place on the internet. If you were looking for a recipe for French toast, you have discovered the perfect spot on the internet. This recipe calls for only five fundamental ingredients, all of which it is highly probable that you already have a supply of stashed away in either your refrigerator or cupboard. Despite its airiness, lightness, and decadence, you can put it together in a flash and with little effort.

Classic french toast recipe

Classic french toast recipe

What leads you to feel that it possesses a high level of quality, and what are those reasons? Because of the over 2,000 times that users of Allrecipes have given this dish a rating of five stars, it is clear that this is a dish enjoyed by many people. This dish is not only easy to follow but also quite tasty. Those individuals who have prepared meals at home and have made use of this recipe have referred to it as "a Sunday morning favorite" and "a sure keeper" (among many other ringing endorsements).

This guide will teach you all you need to know to make the best French toast of your life, including the kind of bread you should use and the ingredients you will need to complete the recipe. Find out all of our most helpful storage practices, in addition to our freezer secrets, in addition to the things that have been described above.

How To Make French Toast

To prepare French toast at home that is on par with that provided in a restaurant, you only need a skillet, a few items always available in your cupboard, and a recipe that has been tried and tested. It is far simpler to make French toast at home that is on par with that served in a restaurant than you might initially believe. If things continue to deteriorate to this degree, then you will finally take notice of us!

Best Bread For French Toast

Classic French Toast Recipe

Classic French Toast Recipe

Traditional French bread, brioche, challah, and sourdough are the four varieties of bread that perform the best when used to prepare French toast. Because of the high density and sturdiness of these types, they are able to withstand complete absorption in the egg custard that is milky, wet, and egg-based without breaking apart. That is because the custard is made with eggs. On the other hand, if you're in a bind, you can get by with any variety of white bread as long as the slices are pretty thick.

To make French toast is customary to use bread sliced the day before. That is because stale bread pieces absorb the eggy mixture better than fresh bread slices. This strategy cuts down on the amount of food thrown away, making it a win-win situation in more ways than one. To state the obvious, it goes without saying that having a loaf that is even slightly stale is not a requirement in any way, but to be clear, having a loaf that is even somewhat stale is not a requirement in any way. If you just have freshly baked bread on hand, you can use it instead of the other components in the recipe. That won't cause any problem, so don't worry about it.

French Toast Ingredients

You can interpret the traditional recipe for French toast in infinite ways as a home cook. However, the ingredients listed below are included in the great majority of these interpretations of the recipe:

White Bread

Every version of French toast begins with bread cut into cubes after slicing exceptionally thinly. Thicker slices, more firm and ever-so-slightly stale have a more remarkable ability to absorb the custard-like egg mixture than those that are more delicate and less airy. They have a lower capacity to soak up the custard-like egg mixture.

Classic French Toast Recipe

Classic French Toast Recipe

Eggs

Eggs are an indispensable ingredient in French toast, making their inclusion an unavoidable prerequisite. The proteins go through a structural transformation when heated, resulting in the proteins becoming more stable. This adjustment is what brings the batter together and guarantees that it will have a smooth and velvety consistency. On the other hand, the fat contributes an extra layer of smoothness to the overall feeling of the dish.

Milk

Even though, in theory, you could create French toast with whatever liquid you wanted, using milk is by far the most common choice. That is even though you could use any juice you wanted. Adding milk to the combination not only provides the batter with the required quantity of moisture but also contributes to the overall richness of the mixture. This recipe calls for whole milk because, when used as the primary ingredient, whole milk yields the most pleasant result to the consumer in terms of texture. You can easily replace the whole milk with half-and-half, cream, or any other alternative milk of your choosing; however, the surface of the finished product will be at its creamiest when you use full-fat varieties of the milk. You can easily replace the whole milk with half-and-half cream or any other alternative milk of your choice.

Vanilla And Cinnamon

Classic French Toast Recipe

Classic French Toast Recipe

The best way to judge the quality of French toast is not only by how comforting and warm it is but also by how aromatic it is and how much sugar is sprinkled on top of it. Cinnamon and vanilla essence are both considered optional components in this recipe; nonetheless, we highly advocate adding them to generate the tastiest product that can be made using these ingredients. If you were in the mood for going all the way, you could even finish it off with a dusting of ground nutmeg or sugar. That would be possible if you were in the mood to go all the way.

Salt

Seasoning with salt is an essential step in the preparation of every dish! There is no discernible difference in flavor between using a minimal amount and a considerable amount. Adding salt to a recipe can make scrambling the eggs easier, help the eggs incorporate more thoroughly into the batter, and prevent the creation of egg shards in the final product.

Butter

The traditional method for making French toast, along with many other cuisines considered to be among the most decadent in the world, calls for the use of butter. That is also the case with a large variety of different types of rich foods. If your French toast is prone to burning, you might want to try heating the bread soaked in batter in a mixture of butter and oil rather than frying it in butter by itself. You can do this if you discover that your French toast is prone to burning. If you find that your French toast is prone to scorching, you might want to give this a shot.

Is French Toast Really French?

Classic French Toast Recipe

Classic French Toast Recipe

Nope! French toast, which is also known as pain perdu in French, was not, despite its name, initially established in the country of France. In French, pain perdu translates to "lost bread." According to a popular urban myth, a guy from the United States named Joseph French invented the delicious breakfast treat in 1724 and gave it his name to honor his accomplishment. It is reported that he was the one who called the dish after himself. It is generally agreed that he was the one who thought of the name that is currently applied to the plate. On the other hand, the likelihood of this statement being accurate is vanishingly small: Some of the earliest recipes that are known to exist call for fried bread that has been soaked in milk and eggs. That suggests that this dish was a regular breakfast snack in Ancient Rome.

It is more likely that cooks in the 15th century were the ones who came up with the present version of French toast since, at the time, people were trying to find ways to use up stale bread. The modern version of French toast consists of using bread that has been soaked in egg and milk. It was possibly about that time that you first created the French toast we know and love today.

How To Keep The Flavor And Originality Of Your French Toast When Storing It In The Refrigerator

Suppose you have any leftover French toast after it has had sufficient time to become entirely solid at room temperature. In that case, you should place it in an airtight container and then store it in the refrigerator (such as a zip-top bag or a reusable storage container). It is possible to keep it fresh in the fridge for anywhere from one to three days.

Can You Freeze French Toast?

Classic French Toast Recipe

Classic French Toast Recipe

The answer to your inquiry is yes since it is possible to keep a significant number of French toast in the freezer for up to three months. After laying the slices out on the baking sheet in a single layer, place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least four hours and up to a full day. When the French toast has been frozen, it can be stored in the freezer for up to three months if placed in a container designed to withstand cold temperatures. When ready to eat it, put it on a baking sheet and bake it at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about eight to twelve minutes or until it is hot and cooked through.

Allrecipes Community Tips And Praise

According to ATOMICLUSH, the development of this recipe involved the exploitation of a loaf of freshly made French bread. "It would be an understatement to say that the outcome was satisfactory; it was quite satisfying. I gave the recipe a touch of sweetness by including a modest amount of sugar in preparing it, and then I completed it by sprinkling some powdered sugar on the surface!"

JENNYDEVALL gushes about how "fast and easy" the dish is, as well as the fact that it is prepared using materials that you most likely already have in your house. JENNYDEVALL also gushes about how the meal can be prepared using items you most likely already have in your home. In addition, she lauds the fact that it is crafted of components that one may produce oneself with two hands.

According to Bryan R., "This recipe is delicious, and it's so simple that you can make it using inexpensive sandwich bread if that's all you have on hand" (This recipe is incredibly excellent and easy). "Because timing plays an essential role in the final product of this dish, you shouldn't immerse the bread in the liquid for any longer than the given amount of time. Place the slice in the mixing bowl, and turn it over as soon as possible. After that, place the slice on the grill. A loaf of undercooked and sticky bread was the end product of an experiment in which the bread was allowed to soak for a lengthier amount of time than was initially planned."

Ingredients

Classic French Toast Recipe

Classic French Toast Recipe

  • ⅔ cup milk
  • Two big eggs
  • One teaspoon of vanilla extract (Optional)
  • a quantity of cinnamon in a powdered form equivalent to a quarter of a teaspoon (Optional)
  • salt to taste
  • There are six slices of bread, each containing a sizeable portion of the bread's crust.
  • One teaspoon of unsalted butter, more if desired, according to individual taste.

Directions

In the first stage of the recipe, you will need to whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt in a shallow basin using a whisk. That will be the first step.

The second step is to preheat a skillet over medium-high heat, then spread a thin coating of butter over the grill's surface before placing it in the oven.

Step 3: Soak the bread in the egg mixture on both sides, and once it has been wholly drenched, remove the bread from the basin where the egg mixture is stored. As soon as the meat has been transferred to the hot skillet, cook it on each side for three to four minutes or until it has reached a color between light brown and golden brown. Make sure to use a high temperature when preparing.

Cook's Note:

If you don't have any cinnamon on hand, you can try using nutmeg instead of the cinnamon that is called for in classic french toast recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

How was French toast originally made?

A collection of recipes that date back to the early 5th century AD provides evidence that the dish that we today refer to as French toast was already in existence during the period of the Roman Empire. That is demonstrated by the fact that you discovered the collection of recipes. The Romans developed a dish called "Pan Dulcis," which was their own take on French toast. You first dip bread in a combination of milk and eggs, then fry in butter or oil, depending on personal preference.

Can you suggest a good bread for French toast?

When choosing bread to make French toast, your most acceptable options are brioche, a baguette from France, or challah. Even while you might make a fantastic French toast with any of these options, the brioche is the one that gets the most acclaim from us.

What's the best way to fry French toast? Butter or oil?

As you cook the French toast, little flecks of that nutty flavor from the brown butter will gradually form. That will result in the taste developing at a much slower rate compared to what it would be like if you cooked the French toast using only butter. That will prevent the French toast from burning while ensuring it cooks evenly. Canola oil is an excellent example of neutral cooking oil, which makes it the ideal choice for making butter because it won't change the flavor of the butter in any way.

Is it a good idea to dry out bread for French toast?

If you want the most outstanding results, you should strive for the bread to be slightly stale when you start. When it comes to soaking up the custard, bread with a naturally drier texture will be more effective. Bread can be de-wrapped and left out one day before it is intended to be baked with the wrapping left open. Before submerging the bread slices in the custard, you have the option of allowing them to first dry out in the oven at a temperature of 275 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes. That is useful if you find yourself in a time rush.

How can French toast be made without milk?

Any recipe that calls for dairy milk can replace the dairy milk with an alternative milk product such as heavy cream, almond milk, soy milk, powdered milk, or any other sort of milk alternative (hint: Light coconut milk would taste great). That is the best option out of those that are accessible. If, on the other hand, you are looking up different ways to make French toast without milk, I think that you don't have any of these things on hand either.

How can I make French toast without vanilla?

Maple syrup: For this recipe, I think it would be best to use maple syrup in a ratio that is twice as high as that of vanilla extract. That is a fantastic alternative for recipes for pancakes, waffles, French toast, blondies, and oatmeal cookies, among other baked goods. Maple extract You'll only need a third of the amount of maple extract compared to the amount of vanilla extract you'd typically use.