One of the things I love about French Toast is that it’s really easy to make, almost foolproof even. Waffles can be a huge pain because you have to pull out a big ol’ chunky waffle iron and them have to go through the trouble of deep cleaning it once you’re done. Meanwhile, Pancakes aren’t much better because a lot of people struggling with knowing when to flip it, how thick the batter should be, or how to properly heat them on the griddle so that they look pretty. With French Toast, you don’t have to worry about all that other junk. With this quick recipe that only requires 3 ingredients, I’m going to show you exactly what I mean.
Key Ingredients for Easy French Toast
French Toast is made from your standard ingredients: Bread, Eggs and some form of Concentrated Milk (meaning milk solids that have been heavily watered down). That said, what makes this recipe stand out from the rest is its convenience, as it doesn’t require the addition of Cinnamon, Sugar or Vanilla Extract.
- Cinnamon Twist Brioche Bread: Most recipes call for using plain white bread or even plain brioche bread. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with doing so, the problem with that is the “French Toast” will end up awfully bland and flavorless without adding sweeteners and spices. You could add your own Vanilla flavoring, Ground Cinnamon and Sugar, but ain’t nobody got time for that when they’re getting ready for work or school. That said, luckily, major grocery stores sell ready-made Brioche Bread that has already been infused with the standard flavors of Cinnamon, Sugar and Vanilla. All you have to do is slice the bread and proceed onto coating it in the custard (which will be discussed further later on).
- Half-and-Half vs. Milk vs. Heavy Cream: Most recipes will call for the use of Whole Milk. However, I find it leaves plenty desired in terms of flavor. So I tested this recipe with both Half-and-Half and Heavy Cream. They both have a considerably higher fat content and a considerably lower water content, which gives the French Toast a more decadent flavor. However, because Heavy Cream is so thick (due to the relative lack of water), the bread doesn’t absorb the custard easily and evenly. So ultimately, I settled on Half & Half being the best compromise, which gives the French Toast a richer taste but with enough water to ensure the custard is able to completely penetrate through the bread.
- Eggs: The eggs in French Toast does a couple of things. For one, Eggs are an ingredient that’s used for emulsification (or binding) in many dishes, and with French Toast, the protein helps to firm up the custard in the bread as it heats up. In addition, the egg yolks help to give french toast that patented golden hue on its exterior once it’s finished cooking. In terms of the number of eggs, I opted to use fewer eggs relative to the amount of liquid because I prefer that my french toast have a lighter and fluffier texture. Other recipes will have you use more eggs relative to the amount of liquid for a denser and firmer french toast.
And that’s all there is to it. Just these 3 simple ingredients are needed to make this fresh and delicious recipe. There’s no need to have to measure out sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla flavoring, etc. in order to get that classic french toast taste.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Use butter to grease skillet. While any oil or grease (as long as it’s compatible with the cookware you’re using) works when cooking French Toast, I recommend using butter to grease the skillet prior to adding the bread. The main reason why is flavor. Margarine is considered flavor-neutral, Meanwhile, when you use butter, you’ll be infusing even more milkfat into the French Toast, further enhancing its richness. I would say 1/2 to 1 TBSP of butter should be sufficient for 2 to 4 slices of bread at a time. You should only add it after allowing the skillet to warm for several minutes and prior to adding the bread though, as the heat can scorch the butter easily.
Be patient. I understand that we all have demanding lives and our time is extremely valuable, so it’s always great when we can find “hacks” that make cooking easier / faster. Unfortunately, French Toast is one of those recipes where there aren’t any real short cuts to the process. It may be tempting to want to constantly fiddle with the French Toast and constantly flip it as it cooks, but I strong advise against doing so. Allowing the bread to cook on one side undisturbed and only flipping it once ensures that you get golden and crisp exterior that you see in photos. Messing with the french toast too much will disrupt this process, leaving you with an underwhelming finished product.
Use day-old (or stale) bread. This is very much an optional step in my humble opinion, especially if you’re a bread that’s on the thicker side (which Brioche bread is). The theory behind doing this is because day-old (or stale) bread tends to be drier, it doesn’t become soggy (causing the bread to fall apart) nearly as easily when you soak it on the custard mixture. That said, using fresh bread is perfectly fine as well. Ultimately, what you really have to be careful about is not soaking the bread (on either side) for too long in the custard mixture and then you must immediately (but carefully place it in the skillet immediately so that it can firm up quickly.
Keep the cooked French Toast warm in the oven. For those who have yet to master the art of cooking all of your food at the same time, or for those who may not be ready to eat immediately, it’s never fun having to eat cooled-off food that should be enjoyed hot. That said, something you can do with help prevent this from happening is by preheating your conventional oven to 200*F (93*C) and then placing the finished french toast inside the oven until you’re ready to eat or serve it. Be careful not to abuse this though, as keeping the french toast in the oven for too long will cause the hot and arid air to dry it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What knife should I use to slice the bread?
For the best results, you should use a bread knife. The reason for this is because bread knives tend to have serrated edges which are ideal for cutting through foods that have a soft interior but tough and/or dense interior without tearing them apart. For this reason, bread knives also give you clean slices of bread with very few crumbs. That being said, in the event you don’t have access to a bread knife, the next best option would be to use a sharp chef’s knife, or any high-quality knife that doesn’t have a dull edge. Most importantly, you want to avoid crushing the bread while cutting through it, which is likely to happen when using a dull knife.
Can I top my French Toast with fruit or powdered sugar?
Absolutely! I personally can take or leave having these extra ingredients on top of my French Toast, which is why I officially excluded them from my recipe. That being said, if you prefer having these extra items as toppings on your french toast, you can certainly add them once the french toast is done cooking and you’re ready to eat/serve them.
Can you freeze the French Toast? And if so, for how long?
While French Toast is ultimately at its best when it’s served hot and fresh, you can definitely freeze this french toast! Once the toast has cooked completely, be sure to place them in a airtight container / bag and they should maintain their freshness for at least 1 month. While it may still be safe to eat for up to 2 months in the freezer, the french toast will gradually lose their flavor and texture after 1 month have passed. For the best reheating results I would advise warming them on the stove or in the oven at 350*F. Avoid using the microwave or allowing them to thaw beforehand, as this will tend to make them soggy.
How long can I store the French Toast in the refrigerator?
French toast, once cooked is one of those dishes that I don’t recommend storing in the refrigerator as the bread will tend to become soggy (it’s best if you freeze them if you want to enjoy them at a later date). That being said, it is perfectly fine to prepare your custard for the french toast and place it in the refrigerator ahead of time. For maximum freshness, just ensure that the bowl or dish with the custard is sealed tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. When you’re ready to cook the french toast, all you have to do is remove the plastic wrap / aluminum foil, soak the bread in it and then place it in the preheated skillet.
Try These Other Breakfast Recipes
Easy 3-Ingredient French Toast
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet or Griddle
- 1 Medium Bowl
- 1 Fork
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 Loaf Cinnamon Twist Brioche Bread (sliced)
- 1/2 Cup Half and Half
- 2 Each Extra Large Eggs
Instructions
- Preheat skillet on stove at medium heat.
- In medium bowl, add and beat eggs for 30 seconds.
- Add Half & Half to bowl and beat for an additional 30 seconds.
- Cut bread into slices that are 1" thick.
- Grease skillet
- Place bread slices in bowl and soak on each side for approx. 10 seconds
- Carefully place bread slices into skillet and allow to cook on one side for 2-3 minutes*
- Flip bread slices over and allow to cook on other side for an additional 2-3 minutes.*
- Remove french toast from skillet and serve hot.