French Toast Recipe
Make French Toast Recipe in just 30m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Custard
Bread
Cooking & Serving
Method
Custard
Make custard
In a wide, shallow bowl or a rimmed baking dish large enough to hold a slice of bread, whisk together the eggs until blended. Add whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt. Whisk thoroughly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is homogeneous. Taste briefly and adjust cinnamon or vanilla if desired.
Rest
Let the custard sit for 5–10 minutes. This allows flavors to meld and small bubbles to settle so coating will be even.
Bread
Prepare bread
If bread is very fresh and soft, day-old or slightly stale bread works best; if using fresh bread, let slices sit uncovered for 30–60 minutes to dry slightly. Trim crusts if desired. Place slices in a single layer on a baking sheet so they're ready to dip.
Soak slices
Working one at a time (or two if you have a wide dish), submerge a bread slice in the custard. Let it soak 10–20 seconds per side for standard 3/4-inch slices. For thicker or very stale bread, soak up to 30–45 seconds per side so custard penetrates the center. Lift and allow excess custard to drip back into the bowl for 5–10 seconds; avoid oversaturating so slices hold together.
Cooking & Serving
Preheat pan
Place a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon neutral oil to the pan. The oil raises the butter's smoke point so it won’t brown too fast.
Cook batches
When butter foams and the pan is hot (a drop of custard should sizzle), add 2–3 soaked bread slices without crowding. Cook until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, 2–3 minutes. Flip carefully with a spatula and cook the second side 1.5–2.5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Adjust heat to prevent burning; reduce to medium-low if browning too quickly. After first batch, add remaining 1–2 tablespoons butter as needed between batches.
Keep warm
Place cooked slices on a baking sheet in a single layer and keep in a 200°F (95°C) oven while finishing remaining batches to keep them warm and slightly crisp.
Serve
Dust French toast with powdered sugar, top with fresh berries if using, and serve with warm maple syrup on the side. Serve immediately.