Pancakes will be jealous.
If you—like me—grew up with French toast made from pre-sliced sandwich bread, this door-stopping French toast will blow you away. Thick slabs of country bread are soaked overnight in a sweet creamy custard, pan-fried until crisp on both sides, and baked for a decadent breakfast that will reset the bar for all French toast forever.
Door-stopping French toast is based on a traditional French pain perdu. Unlike typical American French toast, this style uses a rich custard made with either all cream or a mix of cream and milk, plus quite a bit of sugar and sometimes alcohol, such brandy or Armagnac. The bread is cut thicker and soaked overnight so it can fully absorb the custard. Finally, it’s crusted with sugar and flour, fried in butter until crisp on both sides, and then baked in the oven to finish. The result is a huge over-the-top slab of toast with a crunchy caramelized crust and a super creamy custardy interior. It’s truly a decadent bite.
This style of French toast isn’t hard to make, but there are a few pointers that will help you achieve the best results possible. Here are my top tips to make sure you nail it the first time:
1. Choose the right bread. The best bread for this style of French toast is crusty white country bread. Avoid breads with a large irregular crumb structure (such as baguette or a ciabatta), since they won’t hold the custard as well. I don’t recommend using an enriched bread either, such as brioche or challah, since it may not stand up well to the rich custard.
2. Soak in a small container. For the most through soaking, use a pan that’s just big enough to comfortably fit both slices of bread. This will encourage the custard to reach higher up on the slices of bread as they soak and result in more even saturation. An 8x8 pan (glass or metal) is your best bet.
3. Soak it a full 24 hours. For the most even saturation, soak the bread in the custard for a full 24 hours before cooking. Sure, you can get away with only 12 hours in a pinch, but the risk of dry patches is much higher. That extra time is key.
4. Crust with sugar first, then flour. When sprinkling the crust ingredients on top of the soaked bread, I recommend adding the sugar before the flour. The sugar will partially melt into the custardy top, and the flour will act as a seal to help prevent over-caramelization (burning!) while the bread cooks.
5. Wait for it to inflate. You can stick a probe thermometer into this toast to make sure it’s fully cooked (165 degrees) in the middle . . . or you can just wait until you see it starting to puff and inflate in the center. That’s a sure sign that it’s good to go.
This recipe only makes two pieces of French toast, but they are definitely mega-sized. If you have leftovers, they’ll keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat in the microwave or in an oven on low heat.
Enjoy!
Door-Stopping Overnight French Toast
(Serves 2-4)
2 (2”-thick) slices country bread (6-8 oz.)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. kosher salt 4 tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Equipment: medium baking dish (preferably an 8"x8" pan), large oven-safe pan
Instructions
Arrange bread in a single layer in a baking dish just large enough to fit (an 8x8 pan usually works well). In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, milk, vanilla extract, salt, and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar until completely homogenous. Pour over bread, making sure to distribute as evenly as possible.
Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature. Flip bread to other side; cover and transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least 12 hours (preferably a full 24).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack in the middle position. Uncover chilled soaked bread; sprinkle tops of bread evenly with 1 ½ teaspoon sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons flour.
In a large, oven-safe pan, melt butter with oil over medium heat. Add bread to melted butter in pan, crusted side down. Cook until caramelized, 3-4 minutes, making sure to maintain a medium pan temperature so the bread doesn’t burn. Flip bread to other side and cook 2 minutes more.
Transfer pan to oven. Bake until centers of toast are slightly inflated, 10-15 minutes. Serve with syrup.
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