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Growing up, challah French toast was the only French toast I knew. We would slather softened butter over thick slices of fresh challah on Friday night for Shabbat dinner, and my dad would use the rest of the loaf to make mile-high stacks of French toast the next morning, dusted with powdered sugar and doused with syrup. (Eventually, we just started buying two loaves of challah, for fear we wouldn’t have enough left over).

It wasn’t until a diner served me French toast made with a piece of limp wheat sandwich bread that I realized how spoiled I had been. French toast should be fluffy and custardy with a crispy exterior, spiked with cinnamon and vanilla and sweet maple syrup — not any old end piece of soft bread fried in butter.

Trust me, once you’ve had challah French toast, you’ll realize there’s no other way to eat it. Here’s my recipe for the best-ever version.

Quick Overview

3 Steps for the Absolute Best Challah French Toast

Cut thick slices of bread, then dry them out in the oven. Buy a whole loaf of challah and slice it yourself into one-inch slices. The thicker the slice, the more custard it can soak in, creating a more satisfying contrast between the crispy outside and the creamy, custardy center. Then, you’ll dry out the bread in a 300°F oven, which ensures your French toast is soft and fluffy and pillowy, but not soggy.
Use full-fat dairy for the very best custard. Save your skim milk for your waffle batter and opt for either whole milk, heavy cream, or a combination of the two for the richest custard for your French toast.
Fry the French toast in butter, not oil. You’ll notice a lot of French toast recipes call for a mixture of butter and oil to fry the bread, which is thought to prevent the butter from burning. But as long as you keep a close eye on it, I find using all butter produces a more flavorful French toast, and it’s one less ingredient you need for this recipe.

Key Ingredient in Challah French Toast

Challah bread: Get the prettiest, shiniest, plumpest loaf of challah you can find. One-pound loaves of challah are available at most grocery stores.
Whole milk or heavy cream: You can use either whole milk, heavy cream, or a combination of the two.
Eggs: You’ll need 6 large eggs.
Maple syrup: A bit of maple syrup in the custard adds flavor without making it overly sweet, plus you’ll drizzle more on top for serving.
Vanilla extract: Flavor the custard with vanilla extract.
Ground cinnamon: A dash of ground cinnamon goes into the custard.
Unsalted butter: Use butter for a more flavorful French toast.

How to Make Challah French Toast

Dry the sliced challah bread in the oven. Place the bread in a single layer on a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 300°F, flipping halfway through, until dry to the touch on both sides.
Make the custard. Whisk the milk or cream, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl until combined.
Soak the bread. Soak, flipping once, until drenched but not falling apart. Return to the wire rack (letting excess drip off into baking sheet) and repeat with remaining challah slices.
Cook and serve. Cook the French toast in melted butter over medium heat until golden-brown on both sides. Serve warm with maple syrup.

What to Serve with Challah French Toast

More French Toast Recipes to Try

Storage Tips

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Comments

Challah French toast made with a rich, vanilla-scented custard.

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

1 (1-pound) loaf
challah bread, cut into 1-inch-thick slices (10 to 12 slices)
1 1/2 cups
whole milk, heavy cream, or a combination of the two
6
large eggs
2 tablespoons
maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon
vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon
salt
2 to 3 tablespoons
unsalted butter

Instructions

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Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 300°F.
Fit a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place the bread in a single layer on the rack. Bake, flipping halfway through, until dry to the touch on both sides, about 15 minutes total. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Meanwhile, make the custard.
Place 1 1/2 cups milk or cream, 6 large eggs, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a quart-sized liquid measuring cup or medium bowl. Whisk until fully combined (no streaks of egg remaining). Pour into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Add as many slices of challah as can fit in a single layer. Soak, flipping once, until drenched but not falling apart, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Return to wire rack (letting excess drip off into baking sheet) and repeat with remaining challah slices.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the foaming subsides and the butter is sizzling but not brown, add 4 soaked challah slices. Cook until the bottoms are golden-brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is browned, about 3 minutes more. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan in between batches, swirling as it melts to ensure it doesn’t burn. Serve warm with more maple syrup.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Perfect Challah French Toast