As French toast is one of the most popular and easy to make breakfast foods, many of us prepare it on autopilot, following the same routines that we have been following for many years.
For this recipe, you will need:
Alton Brown French Toast Recipe!
For complete preparation instructions, please refer to the video above.
How To Make Really Good French Toast
It is important to know that whether you have an established method for French toast or are looking for one, a few simple tweaks can help you elevate the dish to a new level.
Don’t stop at basic bread, think outside the box
Basically, the main ingredient and the shape of French toast indicate that most of the dish is bread. There is no doubt that this seems obvious, but it is well worth noting since it opens up the possibility of a massive upgrade. The majority of French toast is made from bread, which means that changing your bread will have a profound impact on the final product. I think you will have a hard time making a great French toast with white bread out of the plastic bag if you use it. It is best to start with a fresh-baked loaf of bread for a better final breakfast.
There is another route that you can take in order to achieve the same outcome. You could start with different kinds of fresh-baked bread. In regards to choosing a bread for your French toast, you have the option of choosing challah, brioche or even banana bread, which will provide you with slices that have different qualities based on the bread you choose. There are a lot of possibilities when you think about it!
The slices should be cut thickly and soaked for a long time
The texture and taste of thinly sliced French toast is somewhat compromised as it loses some of its luxurious bite. As a result, make sure you go thick, not thinner than half an inch. With more bread per slice, you will get more flavor in every bite. As a result, it will also give you a greater ability to sponge up the egg-and-milk mixture, which will allow you to pack more goodness into every bite.
Make your egg-milk batter more exciting by adding a few extra ingredients
French toast takes on a whole new level when you dip a slice of toast in an egg-and-milk mixture and then wait for the magic to happen. As soon as they absorb something, they become imbued with it. So, why not increase the amount of flavor they can absorb by enhancing what they are able to absorb? In order to create flavor in your egg-milk mixture, you might consider sprinkling it with vanilla extract at this point in time. Don’t underestimate the power of cinnamon, however. There is a lot you can accomplish with just a few shakes. It won’t make a big splash, but calling on farm-fresh eggs and whole milk will make a subtle difference.
The maple syrup you use should be rethought
It is recommended that you skip the corn syrup pretenders when topping French toast just before you eat it. Quite a few of these are not maple syrup, but rather “breakfast” or “pancake” syrups. It’s important to make sure you get maple syrup, the real thing that is boiled from the sap of the maple tree – a sweetener of such complexity that it will blow you away.
Think beyond maple syrup when it comes to your breakfast
Add some cool ricotta and a spoonful of your favorite jam to the slices, such as cherry or apricot jam, before topping them with a dollop of ricotta. It is also possible to use compound butters with sweet ingredients, such as honey butter, in order to add a note of difference and welcomeness. As an alternative to maple syrup, these approaches can also be used. Nevertheless, if you wish to mix and match, you are free to do so.
The best way to cook is to use a pan that is non-stick
We all know that French toast is made by dipping bread in an egg mixture and then cooking it. As a result of the amount of moisture that egg bread absorbs, you will probably want to cook the French toast in a non-stick pan. The standard pan might give you the chance to develop a more flavorful color during cooking, true, but it isn’t fun to spend 10 minutes scrubbing off egg stuck to the bottom of your pan. There is nothing better than non-stick, especially if you’re making large batches of food and want to clean up between batches as little as possible.
It’s important not to skip the butter
I know there are times when it would be best to use a cooking oil such as grapeseed, but this is not one of them. There is something about butter that gives French toast its deep richness and a comforting quality that we crave on mornings when we sizzle this breakfast staple on the stove top. When you are cooking the toast in a pan, you should use a combination of butter and oil to prevent burning or smoking.