French Toast

This recipe is a classic version of French toast in which an egg bread, in this case challah, is dipped in a sweetened egg and milk mixture and fried.  You could also make this recipe with a rich brioche or spicy cinnamon or cinnamon raisin bread but try to choose a bread that isn't pre-sliced so you can cut slices as thick as you like.

This is a recipe that does better with day-old or stale bread instead of one that is fresh and soft.  If you only have fresh bread, just slice it a few hours before you make the French toast, giving the pieces a chance to dry out a bit.

Having a warm oven ready when you begin making the French toast means you can transfer the finished pieces to the oven while you make the entire batch.  This means everyone can sit down at once to eat instead of the cook having to stay on a French toast assembly line in the kitchen.

The traditional finish to French toast is a dusting of confectioner's sugar and a drizzle of warm maple syrup.  But an alternative is a spoonful of lingonberries, a tangy yet sweet little berry that's sold in many grocery and specialty stores alongside the jams and jellies. 

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 large eggs
2 cups whole or 2% milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
8 to 10 slices of day-old or stale challah bread, cut from a whole loaf into 1-inch slices
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons canola oil

Optional:  warm maple syrup or slightly warmed lingonberries

1. Pre-heat oven to 200° F.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon and salt. 
3. Have a sheet pan on hand as well as an ovenproof platter.
4. Dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture and let the bread absorb some of the liquid but not so much that the bread begins to fall apart.  Transfer to the sheet pan while you prepare and heat the frying pan.
5. In a large sauté or frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of the oil over a medium high heat.
6. Fry the pieces of the soaked bread about 2 minutes per side until the bread is golden brown.  Do no overlap while cooking.  Transfer to the platter and place in the oven to keep warm.
7. Continue to cook the remaining pieces of bread, adding more butter and oil as needed.
8. Serve with warm maple syrup or by passing a bowl of lingonberries.

Advertise on TheCityCook.com