How to Successfully Make French Toast

French toast is a brunchtime staple, especially at Easter. Here are a few tips to make it, as well as topping ideas to maximize the flavour, texture…and fun!

What is French Toast?

It consists of bread slices soaked in an egg mixture, and then browned in a skillet and served with maple syrup and other toppings.

● Choice of bread

When it comes to French toast’s base ingredients, bread is evidently the first that comes to mind. Much like the soaking and cooking times, it contributes to optimizing the dish’s texture. It needs to be soft enough to soak up the egg mixture, without coming apart during cooking. Brioche bread and homemade bread are good choices.

Slightly stale bread (a day or two old), especially in the case of a baguette, is ideal. When dry, it absorbs the egg mixture better, is less likely to soften and brings a crispier texture.

Calculate at least 2 slices of bread per person, ideally thick ones (at least 2 cm) for a better balance between soft and crispy.

● A good mixture

Eggs and milk, which could be replaced with cream, are two essentials to a basic recipe. Add a pinch of salt and vanilla extract (1 tsp) to enhance the mixture, as well as cinnamon to taste and nutmeg for a warm and subtle touch. Add the ground spices to the milk to better diffuse the flavours.

A classic recipe with 4 servings (8 slices of bread) boasts 2 to 3 eggs per 1 cup (250 ml) of milk. You can add one extra egg to the mixture to give it a thicker, more encasing texture. Using only one egg gives the mixture a lighter consistency that can oversoak the bread.

● Soaking time

When you soak your bread slices for too long in the mixture, they’ll soften and disintegrate at the lightest touch. A soaking time between 15 and 20 seconds on each side yields an optimal result.

● Cooking

The perfect French toast is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. To achieve this, warm your skillet over medium heat with a bit of butter. This prevents sticking and ensures the bread cooks through without burning.

Brown the soaked bread slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden. Cook only two or three slices at a time to prevent them from sticking together and to ensure even cooking.

● Topping Ideas

We love and always come back to maple syrup because it’s a classic that always titillates our taste buds.

A bit of butter and powdered sugar are enough to bring a perfectly sweet touch to the dish.

Mouth-watering pairings include: banana and caramel, banana and chocolate, strawberries and chocolate, apple and caramel, etc.

Fruity versions, with strawberries, field berries or citrus, are always a winning treat, as are savoury versions. Here are a few recipes worth trying: