Sourdough French Toast

Start with sourdough bread, a few eggs, some butter, a little cinnamon and vanilla, and voila! You’ve made French toast, right? Well, don’t rush into it just yet.

Although French toast has few ingredients and is easy to cook, French toast can go wrong on so many levels. A burnt outside, raw inside, or generally bad texture, for example, are a few of the issues you can run into.

The real trick to making classic French toast is to use quality ingredients, like artisan sourdough, and to pay close attention while cooking. Read on for more French toast tips, or skip to the bottom for my ultimate recipe!

Choosing The Right Bread

You can use any bread to make French toast. Classic, toast bread, challah, sourdough and many other types. Whatever type of bread you are using, make sure your bread is stale. Stale bread is your friend.

This is amazing news because your old, stale bread has found a new purpose. Dried out bread helps the egg soak in, without the center part collapsing.

Before you use bread, make sure there is no mold in it, and the crust is not too firm or dried out. Bread that has been sitting around for 1-2 days is a perfect choice. 

Egg Or Milk Batter?

Some prefer milkier, custard-like soaking liquid for the French toast, with creamier results.

Some like eggier French toast, which leaves toast somewhat firmer, and richer. This recipe is in the milkier camp. If you want eggier French toast, make sure to add two extra egg yolks in the egg mixture.

With this recipe, we are building in flavor through classic French toast flavors, vanilla and cinnamon. There is no sugar in the French toast egg mixture, because the French toast is sweetened either with honey or maple syrup.

Also, sugar is avoided because it will melt quickly and just burn, leaving you with unpleasant tasting toast. 

Any Other Type Of Batter?

Milk, eggs, and flour? Yes, some people add flour into their batter. I have tried it myself, and I must say it is very good. I cannot find anything wrong with it.

This batter is a bit thicker than just eggs and milk because of the flour, and I do feel it sticks better on the piece of bread you are using.

Once cooked, it gives crispier edges, and a more dense center. You can also try this version and let me know how it tastes for you. 

How To Cook French Toast?

Perfectly cooked French toast has a golden-brown color, and that is a sign that it is well cooked. Here are some things that will help you achieve that:

• Add some oil – The butter gives a really great flavor, but it also has a low smoke point. If you use just butter, it will burn and also burn your toast. Therefore, I suggest that you add a splash of oil with your butter. The oil helps keep the bread from burning, but it does not stop it altogether. As you cook your French toast, the butter will still brown. Use neutral oil, like canola, that will not interfere with the buttery flavor. 

• Medium-low heat – I find medium-low heat is the ideal for way to go with French toast. This heat setup is just good enough not to burn the toast, but also effective for cooking the toast thoroughly. 

When Is French Toast Done?

Some people like a more moist center, some like it dry, and the cooking time is your personal preference. I like to stick with golden-brown toast and this is a rule in my kitchen.

Ideally cooked French toast is just how you like it, and that’s all there is to it. Think of French toast as a thin pancake. A minute per one side, and 30 seconds per second side is just enough, in my opinion.

How To Keep The French Toast Warm

I like to keep my toast in the warmed oven. I preheat my oven to 180°F and just place the cooked French toast in it. Besides this, you can place French toast on a baking sheet or a plate and cover with a piece of aluminum foil. 

How To Serve French Toast

You can serve the French toast with butter, honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, fresh fruits, or simply dusted with powdered sugar.

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