Classic French Toast

While many people get excited to kick off the weekend with a pancake breakfast, I’m all about loading my plate with thick, golden-brown slices of custardy French toast (preferably with a side of oven-cooked bacon!). There are hundreds of variations of French toast to choose from, including stuffed French toast, bananas Foster French toast, pumpkin spice French toast, and many more. 

But nothing beats a good batch of classic French toast. In this recipe, thick slices of white bread are dipped in a lightly sweetened cinnamon-vanilla custard and cooked in a sizzling skillet until golden-brown all over, then drizzled with a generous pour of maple syrup. Plus, because the recipe offers several options for both the bread and dairy, it’s easy to make it your own and works with ingredients you already have on hand.

• The texture is totally perfect. The bread is fried just enough that it’s golden, buttery, and crisp on the outside, while the inside is soft and custardy without being soggy.
• It’s extra flavorful. A couple spoonfuls of vanilla extract and ground cinnamon take the custard to the next level.

• Bread. This is the star ingredient. You want to start with an uncut loaf so that the slices aren’t too thin. Go with either a one-pound loaf of white sandwich bread (I personally think this is the best bread for French toast), challah, or brioche. 
• Large eggs. This is a key ingredient for the custard, and you’ll need a total of five large eggs.
• Whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream. Any one of these dairy options works well and makes a delicious custard for French toast. The difference is how rich the custard tastes. Heavy cream makes for a super-creamy custard, and whole milk yields a lighter-tasting custard, while half-and-half is somewhere in the middle.

1. Slice the bread. Plan to cut the loaf into 3/4- to 1-inch slices, which will give you about eight pieces.
2. Mix the custard. I like to whisk together the custard in a 9×13-inch casserole dish, so that you can soak several slices of bread at one time. 
3. Dip the bread. You want the slices of bread to be really drenched but not falling apart. The type of bread you use will determine how long to soak. Plan on about one minute per side for white sandwich bread, or just 15 seconds per side for challah or brioche.
4. Cook the French toast. Fry as many pieces as will fit in a large nonstick skillet coated with melted butter until golden-brown on both sides.

• Texas toast will also work for this recipe if you don’t have uncut white sandwich bread, challah, or brioche. 
• While the recipe calls for regular milk or cream, you can also use an equal amount of unsweetened non-dairy milk. The only difference is that the custard won’t be quite as rich or creamy.
• If you don’t have ground cinnamon, or simply want to switch things up, ground cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice are fun swaps. 

• French toast is definitely at its best when first made. That said, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, and it also freezes well. Just freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, reheat in a 325ºF oven until warmed through, 7 to 15 minutes.
• I recommend waiting to mix together the custard until just before cooking; however, you can slice the bread in advance. 

• Oven-Cooked Bacon
• Strawberry Honey Butter
• Berry Pineapple Fruit Salad
• Blueberry Compote
• Apple Cider Syrup