How To Make French Toast

To make basic French toast, you need the following ingredients:

• bread
• French toast batter
  • milk and/or cream
  • eggs
  • flavoring (vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg)
• oil (for pan frying).

While you can use any bread to make French toast, using a thick bread is optimal.  French bread, naturally, works really well for making French toast.

Tip:  If you are a bread baker, be sure to wait a day or two after baking bread before using it to make French toast.  I recommend that if you use a loaf of French bread, cut the slices 1″ thick.

Once you have all of your ingredients gathered, begin by making the custard base.  Whisk together eggs, milk (or half and half), vanilla, and spices until well combined.

Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat with a small layer of oil.  If you have a non-stick skillet, use it. They work best when making French toast.

When the skillet is ready, dip the bread slices in the custard mixture.  Allow the slices to soak it up, but do not leave them in long.  Remove them and allow the excess mixture to drip off.  Place the slices onto the prepared pan or griddle and cook until they are golden brown.  Flip and repeat on other side.

I like to sprinkle French toast with a little powdered sugar and serve it with some fresh fruit. Syrup is optional.

For a dessert option, a drizzle of chocolate sauce hits the sweet spot.

French toast can even be served topped with a scoop of ice cream, then drizzled with chocolate sauce, and topped with a cherry on top or a side strawberries and cream.

French Toast Facts

Have you ever wondered about the origins of French toast? 

History has it that the dish we know as French bread – or pain perdu if you are in France – has been around for centuries.  In fact, the simple dish can be traced back to the Roman Empire.

The name of the dish has been traced back to 17th century England.  The French name of the dish translates to lost bread and is so named because of the peasants using stale bread that would otherwise been tossed out.

Because there are eggs in the batter, French toast typically is not a vegan dish.  However, if one substitutes ground chia seeds for eggs, it is possible to make a vegan French toast dish.

French toast freezes well for up to 2 months.  To freeze, allow the toast to cool (I prefer to drain any excess oil on paper towels) and then place in a Ziplock freezer bag.

I recommend placing parchment paper between slices of French toast to help prevent them from sticking together.  When you are ready to eat them, simply pop them in your toaster or toaster oven to reheat them.