Crispy Salt and Pepper French Toast Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How does Martha Stewart make French toast? ›

Try to avoid doing a quick dip into the batter if you can! I also like to fry my French toast in a skillet with lots of butter with just a drizzle of olive oil to ensure the butter does not burn.

Choose the Right Bread: Use thick slices of day-old bread, such as brioche, challah, or French bread, for your French toast. Stale bread absorbs the egg mixture better without becoming too soggy. Dry the Bread: If your bread is fresh, lightly toast the slices in a toaster or oven before dipping them in the egg mixture.

If you wondered why baked French toast at restaurants is so custardy and delicious, it is because they do not just pour and bake. A few minutes simply will not cut it. Restaurants may let the bread sit in the egg and milk wash overnight, allowing a thorough saturation before cooking.

Quite simply, Texas French toast is exactly what it sounds like, French toast that has been made using the extra thick slices endemic to Texas toast. Since the cut of bread is so thick, it allows for greater absorption of the egg and cream mixture and longer frying times.

Whatever you decide on, the ratio of liquid to egg will still be about ¼ cup liquid to one egg, and one egg per two slices of bread. So, if you want to make four slices of French toast, you would need four slices of bread, two eggs, and ½ cup milk.

Use brioche or challah. These egg-based breads have a high butter content, meaning their crumb is tender and rich but light. In other words, they're an ideal foundation for super decadent yet airy French toast.

Butter gives French toast a deep richness and comforting quality, which are what we crave on mornings we sizzle this breakfast staple. To prevent burning or smoking, use a combination of butter and oil in the pan to cook the toast.

Vanilla extract is a standard upgrade, but a few others that I recommend for French toast are almond, hazelnut, and coconut. If you want to add a kick to it, try a sweet, full-body liqueur like Grand Marnier, or a spiced rum. A good fortified wine like sherry or port will also give it a kick while adding sweetness.

Should I leave bread out overnight for French toast? ›

Ideally, the bread should be slightly stale. A drier bread will soak up all the custard. Bread can be left out with the wrapper open the day before cooking. If you find yourself in a pinch, dry your bread slices in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes before soaking them in the custard.

In long trips i.e. over 3 hours long, I take some toasted break with either pb&j or something inside e.g. slices of turkey etc (toasted). I wrap them with aluminium foil and place them inside those transparent food bags/freezer bags we use to for placing items in a fridge.

A quick hack, however, is to wrap your sandwich in a paper towel before putting it in your lunchbox. The paper towel will wick away any excess moisture, keeping your slices of bread crisp.

Rather than leave the slices flat on a countertop or work space, though, consider propping the slices up at an angle to prevent the steam from softening your freshly toasted bread. Proper air circulation around the bread will allow it to stay crisp and dry.

Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture and cook on both sides until browned. Lay the cooked slices on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Place cookie sheet in freezer. By freezing them individually like this first, they won't stick together in the bag and will be easy to remove one at a time.