Classic French Toast (2024)

Classic French Toast (1)

  1. Whisk eggs, cream, vanilla, and spices:

    Whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

    Classic French Toast (2)

  2. Arrange bread in shallow dish:

    Place bread in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold bread slices in a single layer.

  3. Soak bread in egg mixture:

    Pour egg mixture over bread; soak 10 minutes. Turn slices over; soak until soaked through, about 10 minutes more.

    Classic French Toast (4)

  4. Cook French toast:

    Preheat oven to 250°F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet, and set aside.

    Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry half the bread slices until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack and place in preheated oven while cooking remaining French Toast.

    Wipe skillet, and repeat with remaining butter, oil, and bread.

    The rack allows for air circulation so the slices stay crisp. If they were sitting directly on the baking rack or were stacked on top of each other, they could get soggy.

  5. Serve:

    Serve warm with pure maple syrup, if desired.

    Classic French Toast (6)

Frequently Asked Questions

Classic French Toast (7)

How to keep French Toast from being too soggy?

There are several possible reasons for soggy French toast. The first is using fresh bread, which soaks up too much of the egg mixture and doesn’t cook through, remaining eggy and soggy in the middle. Leaving the bread in the egg mixture for too long is another route to soggy French toast. You want the bread to soak up the egg mixture, but you don’t want it to become sodden before you cook it. A third cause of soggy French toast is cooking over high heat. This results in bread that is almost burned on the outside but has a middle that is still raw. Use medium heat to cook the French toast to avoid this issue.

How to keep French Toast from being too dry?

Not soaking the bread for long enough can produce dry French toast (the opposite of the soggy French toast problem). Another cause is cooking the toast over low heat, which increases cook time and results in dry French toast.

Is French toast French?

French toast is called pain perdu (lost bread) in France and much enjoyed there, but evidence it is actually a French dish is scant. Experts say that cooks have been soaking stale bread in eggs and milk for centuries, and the origins of the dish date back to ancient Rome.


Is it better to use milk or cream for French toast?

French toast requires a rich dairy liquid for the custard-like egg mixture. Our Classic French Toast recipe uses whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream. We do not recommend making French toast with fat-free or reduced fat milk.


Can I use dairy-free milk?

Yes, you can make French toast using a dairy-free milk. Simply swap the amount of dairy milk in the recipe for the same amount of an alternative milk; choose a thicker dairy-free milk for the egg mixture rather than a thinner one, if possible.

More French Toast Recipes to Try:

Classic French Toast (2024)

FAQs

What is the original French toast? ›

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.

Which material is the limiting ingredient if you have 2 eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of ground nutmeg, and 8 slices of bread? ›

Which material is the limiting ingredient if you have 2 eggs, 1 cup. of milk, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of ground nutmeg, and 8. slices of bread? ground nutmeg.

What is the trick to French toast? ›

Allow the bread slices to dry overnight.

Similar to the idea of using stale bread for French Toast, we set our slices of brioche out overnight on a rack so that the bread slices dried out just slightly. This allowed the bread to more easily absorb the egg and milk mixture.

What do Americans call French toast? ›

French toast is a dish of sliced bread soaked in beaten eggs and often milk or cream, then pan-fried. Alternative names and variants include eggy bread, Bombay toast, gypsy toast, and poor knights (of Windsor).

How much milk do you use for one egg? ›

Gather ingredients

To make scrambled eggs for two, you'll need 4 to 6 eggs, 4 to 6 tablespoons of milk (figure 1 tablespoon of milk for every egg), and salt and pepper to taste.

What is the limiting reactant in a recipe? ›

The limiting reactant (or limiting reagent) is the reactant that determines the amount of product that can be formed in a chemical reaction. The reaction proceeds until the limiting reactant is completely used up.

When eggs are used to hold ingredients together they are this type of agent? ›

Expert-Verified Answer

The coagulation of egg protein when cooked also makes it an excellent emulsifying agent that helps to bind ingredients together. Additionally, the unique properties of egg proteins make them useful in creating foams and meringues.

Should French toast have more eggs or milk? ›

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.

Why is restaurant French toast so much better? ›

According to the chef, the difference comes down to two main elements: the use of high-quality yeasty bread and allowing it time to properly soak. While you can use regular old white bread at home, you may want to give yours an upgrade — try subbing in thick-cut slices of brioche instead.

What to add to French toast to make it better? ›

Milk and eggs are the only essentials required for the custard base—but it's how you season the mixture that will give your French toast a distinctive flavor. A pinch of cinnamon and some vanilla extract are standard upgrades—and a little sugar never hurts either.

What is the traditional toast in France? ›

À votre santé (“to your health,” plural/formal) is used commonly as a generic toast. If you're only drinking with one other person and it's someone you know well, you'd probably use the singular informal version, À ta santé.

What's the difference between Texas French toast and French toast? ›

Quite simply, Texas French toast is exactly what it sounds like, French toast that has been made using the extra thick slices endemic to Texas toast. Since the cut of bread is so thick, it allows for greater absorption of the egg and cream mixture and longer frying times.

Is French toast different in France? ›

A staple food in France, French toast is named “Pain perdu” which translates literally to lost bread, reflecting the use of stale bread so it doesn't get “lost”. These slices of breads dunked in an eggy mixture and toasted in a pan are comforting, sweet and tender – and a breeze to make at home.

Was French toast originally called German toast? ›

The Dictionary of American Food and Drink contends that the first egg-based recipe in print didn't appear until 1870; throughout the tail end of the 19th century, similar recipes appeared under the monikers “French toast,” “Egg toast,” “Spanish toast,” and even “German toast.”

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