Bell-less, Whistle-less, Damn Good French Toast

4.4
21 Ratings

Kayb

Test Kitchen-Approved
Bell-less, Whistle-less, Damn Good French Toast

Photo by James Ransom

Serves
4
Prep Time
10 Minutes
Cook Time
5 Minutes

There are things in life that just ought to be simple, and to my taste buds, French toast is one of them. Mine has only three ingredients, depending on the quality of the bread to carry the dish, and the quality of the accompanying butter and syrup to finish the dish to perfection. It's critically important to use good-quality challah for French toast. I had no idea how important until I tried it the first time. I'll never go back. Fresh fruit is an acceptable add-on, but preserve me from cinnamon, powdered sugar, and the like.


Ingredients

  • 1 loaf challah bread
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 to 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for serving
  • Maple syrup, for serving

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Bell-less, Whistle-less, Damn Good French Toast


There's nothing to making this French toast recipe. All you need is the bread, eggs, heavy cream, a little bit of butter, and some good-quality maple syrup, and breakfast is ready to go. But there is one thing that makes it exceptional: the cream. The developer of this recipe, KayB, cuts to the chase, forgoing spices and extracts, and focusing instead on just the basics. Once you give it a try, you'll see why you don't need that extra stuff. But it's really important to get the best ingredients you can, which will truly make a lot of difference. Hopefully you have a bakery where you can get good challah from. Or you can make it yourself if you're feeling fancy and enjoy baking bread. But as KayB says, you should always get a couple of the loaves that you love and be sure to stick one in the freezer. That way, you can have French toast whenever the craving strikes, which we are certain will be often after you make this recipe.

And this is how you make it: You whip together the eggs and cream, which form a custardy mixture, then dip the eggy bread into this custard. Make sure to gently squeeze the bread with your fingertips to draw the eggs and cream to the center—and fry them in butter. It'll be done and cooked in 15 minutes total, can't go wrong with that. Outside is a crisp crepe-like shell. Inside, pudding. Okay, seriously, what are you waiting for?


Directions

  • Step 1

    Slice the challah into ¾- to 1-inch-thick slices. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and cream.

  • Step 2

    Heat a griddle or flat grill pan over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter for every 2 pieces of French toast, swirling the butter around to cover the surface.

  • Step 3

    Dip a slice of the bread into the egg mixture; turn and repeat. Cook for about 90 seconds, until golden on one side. Turn and continue to cook for about 1 minute, until the second side is golden.

  • Step 4

    Serve with more butter and the maple syrup alongside.

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