French Toast Recipes - Classic, Fluffy, Unique & More | Taste of Home (2024)

FAQs

What is one common mistake when preparing French toast? ›

If the pan isn't hot enough when you put your first slice in, the custard spreads out, forming a "foot" on the bottom of the French toast. When the pan is hot enough, the batter won't have time to seep; the custard will start cooking as soon as it hits the pan. Give the pan a light coating of neutral oil and butter.

According to a collection of recipes from the early 5th century AD, the dish we now know as French toast existed as early as the age of the Roman Empire. In their style of French toast, called Pan Dulcis, Romans would soak bread in a milk and egg mixture, then fry it in oil or butter.

A creamy custard is the key to incredible French toast, so skip the watery skim milk and go for whole milk or half-and-half. Straight heavy cream turns French toast into dessert, so lean that way if you're looking for decadence.

Whatever you decide on, the ratio of liquid to egg will still be about ¼ cup liquid to one egg, and one egg per two slices of bread. So, if you want to make four slices of French toast, you would need four slices of bread, two eggs, and ½ cup milk. How's that for an easy recipe?

It can be topped with fruits, Nutella or whipped cream and most commonly with maple syrup, icing sugar, and butter on top. French toast was invented by Joseph French in 1724. It got its current name through a grammatical error. He wanted to name it French's toast, but he forgot to include an apostrophe.

Alternative names and variants include eggy bread, Bombay toast, gypsy toast, and poor knights (of Windsor). When French toast is served as a sweet dish, sugar, vanilla, or cinnamon are also commonly added before pan-frying, and then it may be topped with sugar (often powdered sugar), butter, fruit, or syrup.

Cooking it low and slow lets the bread soak up even more flavor. Stuffed French Toast: Chocolate, fruit, cream cheese or savory ingredients can all be stuffed inside French toast for extra flavor.

Use brioche or challah. These egg-based breads have a high butter content, meaning their crumb is tender and rich but light. In other words, they're an ideal foundation for super decadent yet airy French toast.

Custard. Eggs and milk are whipped together into a smooth mixture to dip the bread in before you fry it on both sides to a golden brown. Half-and-half or cream will make a richer custard than whole or skim milk. You can also use non-dairy milks such as almond and coconut.

What causes soggy French toast? ›

Choose the Right Bread: Use thick slices of day-old bread, such as brioche, challah, or French bread, for your French toast. Stale bread absorbs the egg mixture better without becoming too soggy. Dry the Bread: If your bread is fresh, lightly toast the slices in a toaster or oven before dipping them in the egg mixture.

"You know when your French toast is done when the center is set and doesn't have a runny consistency once cut," Oliveira says. If you're cooking a thinner French toast or omitted eggs from your soaking liquid, a quick pan-fry will do the trick, with 3 to 6 minutes on each side.

If you are watching your weight and health then you should know that French toast contains quite a high amount of saturated fat. This could be attributed to the eggs and milk that are among the ingredients of French toast. Saturated fat is one of the types of fats that you should avoid on a regular basis.

Especially in the US, raw eggs can carry salmonella. So to reduce the risk of getting salmonella from French toast, just make sure that each piece is cooked thoroughly so that the egg in it is no longer raw before you eat it.