One trick I have taken to using for French toast is to take a portion of the dairy (1/4 to 1/3 cup) and scald it in the microwave. Into that hot milk, I blend in the cinnamon and/or other dry seasonings and let them steep in the milk. It helps give a more even flavor to the toast without thinking about whether one slice looks like it has a lot more cinnamon than another.

@free_siobhan

2 жыл бұрын

ooh, i might have to try this

@annettefriedrich9156

2 жыл бұрын

French toast for a crowd

@gracieboozle

2 жыл бұрын

I Ohio

Add a layer of brown or muscovado sugar pre-mixed with melted butter on top of a silicon mat then put the toast on top of it. Now you have a brulee'd french toast for an ever better result.

I often make my French Toast in my Waffle Iron. Cooks both sides at the same time and adds the little square pockets for the syrup. Simple, easy and no pan to clean. Since I love French Toast and Waffles, it gives me things I like about both.

Dan I picked you out of the chorus line when you first appeared some years ago. I loved your depth of knowledge. Your ability to deliver it in a witty and amusing way while being rather easy in the eyes. So glad to see this blog and congrats for Becoming editor of America’s test kitchen magazine which I re-subscribe to recently because of your involvement. If you’re ever in western Massachusetts again I’ll come and watch another one of your demonstrations. Job well done.

Use 2 sheet pans. Preheat oven to 500 with one tray in. With the other tray soak the bread right before over reaches temp. Once oven is to temp - Place the soaked toast slices on the hot tray then bake, flip and keep using the sheet till all of the slices you need are done. Only use the second tray for prep. I found that a cold tray takes too long to warm up and brown the slices for round one. Using a hot tray saves the first batch from becoming dried out. Believe me - this was a lesson learned after serving 10-15 ppl per breakfast - 5-6 times. (I was following a similar - yet older recipe - Trust.

@AbelleveMe

2 жыл бұрын

Makes sense. Thanks for the tip!

@moonshadow3559

11 ай бұрын

Excellent tip! Thank you!

My favorite French toast uses leftover panettone the day after Christmas. Thanks for the tip on drying the bread in the oven, and baking the toast in the oven. I can’t wait to try it.

Whats eating dan is truly a gem of KZread. Wish he had his own channel!

@susanhammitt7080

3 жыл бұрын

I agree. He is so fun and his information is always enlightening.

Please never stop making this series! I will absolutely be trying Lan’s recipe, it looks amazing.

I LOVE the way he explains things. These videos are excellently done and super entertaining as well. 🤗

Speaking of moisture, an important step in the oven method is to flip the French toast after cooking. While the recipe on the website and the 20th Anniversary book does say to “flip and serve,” it sounds like it is a brief and minor step in the seconds between putting the toast on a plate, adding syrup, and digging in. But if you do that the broiled side will be hard and tough. In my experience, the process is to bake, broil, remove from heat, flip in the pan, wait a minute for the toast to soften, then serve.

@borderlineiq

3 жыл бұрын

Sure, it's great for you, but I am pretty sure the toast is steamed!

Day old baguette with eggs milk cinnamon sugar and vanilla. Fry in butter and serve with syrup or/and powdered sugar 😋

@99zanne

3 жыл бұрын

We use freshly grated nutmeg instead of cinnamon, and omit the sugar, but otherwise follow that recipe!

The dry portion of the bread being referred to as "bone" is interesting. I always thought of it as a bad thing, that you want the bread completely soaked. Which is what an Alton Brown recipe did by letting the bread soak longer, browning in the pan and then finishing in the oven so that the custard sets completely.

@carbar3936

2 жыл бұрын

Been doing Alton's version svrl yrs.

@mndlessdrwer

2 жыл бұрын

I've tried both before and the Alton Brown method gives you a center that is luxuriously rich and practically melts away, whereas the under-saturation method that relies on the custard wicking into the center during cooking provides a more toothsome eating experience. It'll depend on which texture you prefer in your finished French toast, but I go for the longer soak, personally. I also store my slices in the oven once they come off the pan to give them a chance for the heat to soak in and set the custard. For the last few slices, I turn down the temp in the pan and let them go a bit longer since they won't be spending any time in the oven. Those I tend to serve last so they have time to finish cooking while they rest. Most eggs in the US are low-temp pasteurized so I'm not the least bit concerned about them being unsafe to eat if the custard hasn't set, it's just a less appealing texture. I have also moved entirely away from attempting to make French toast with ordinary sandwich bread, as the slices are simply too thin to retain a soft custard center. If you want to use white bread then you need to find a company that makes thick-sliced artisan-style loaves. The Sara Lee Artisan white bread is honestly about as good as you can expect from pre-sliced sandwich bread and it works admirably for French toast. Otherwise, just buy an unsliced loaf of white bread, challah, or any other suitable bread. I've used cranberry pecan cobblestone bread before and it was absolutely spectacular.

Dan! Thank you! Sharing that everyday French Toast recipe is the best thing ever! 😍😍😍 The family fell in love and it's so easy we're going to have it every day

Great channel! Great information! I follow the recipe you just talked about! Makes the most delicious French Toast ever! So easy too! Love the vanilla Brioche Bread!

Miamo 🐈‍⬛ I know Dan had to let her go earlier this year, it's so lovely to see the two of them together. ❤️❤️

@samiracle

3 жыл бұрын

That tip on how to dry out bread was very helpful, because I’m always wary of using fresh brioche for French toast because it’s so soft. What are your thoughts on other flavorings for French toast, like a dash of orange blossom water and cardamom with the cinnamon? Also, why is wheat or multigrain bread rarely used for French toast?

@borderlineiq

3 жыл бұрын

@@samiracle A lot of us find whole grain a bit, er, grainy for anything that is trying to present a custard texture inside. As for flavorings, think of what you like with creme or custard dishes. Nutmeg. Caramel, chocolate, favorite liquors, "sweet herbs," even a dash of heat. Five spice, or any of the winter spices that are in spice cookies. Pumpkin spice. Coconut flavoring. Cherry flavoring. For my tastes, I like French toast like I do cheesecake, plain or vanilla with any added flavors coming from a sauce or topping.

@marthaczyz1078

3 жыл бұрын

@@samiracle those flavors sound great…fwiw I’ll use wheat bread at home if it’s just for me

Had half a loaf of Brioche sitting around last week so I left it out overnight to get nice and stale and made a custard with egg yolks, heavy cream, freshly grated cinnamon and nutmeg, and vanilla paste. Luckily I didn't have to work that day because I ate so much rich French Toast that I was basically incapacitated for the next 4 hours. So good.

@geezermann7865

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds great. Dried. Not stale though.

@laughinlori6893

3 жыл бұрын

Nothing like a good old sugar coma on a lazy weekend morning!

I love using brioche bread for French toast,it's so delicious. I really like the idea of cooking it in the oven,I'll have to try this method.

Did anyone else notice at 4:59 that the eggs make a smiley face in Dan’s bowl?! Thank you, Dan, for putting so much fun in your videos! 🙂

Truly a great recipe Thanks for sharing

I ❤ Dan's segments so much, I learn a ton about cooking/food from these short videos.

Dan, everything u make looks so delicious... You are awesome..

When I was a child I loved French Toast so much that I was dissatisfied with how often I could get someone to make it for me. I asked my dad to teach me how so I could make it whenever I wanted. French toast was the first thing I learned to cook. I still love french toast, sometimes I make it with bagels.

@anti-ethniccleansing465

2 жыл бұрын

I think it was my first thing I learned how to cook too! Either that or scrambled eggs, which you kind of need to know how to do that to make French toast anyways lol. After my dad taught me that stuff, he went hard-core with me. He taught me how to make hollandaise sauce for eggs benedict. Ha! That one definitely wasn’t as easy, to say the least. I ruined _quite a few_ batches for a very long time until I got it down. But to this day it is one of my favorite breakfast dishes that I make every so often - back in college it was the best hangover food. ;) I love the way that he taught me how to do it too, because it isn’t the “official“ way, as it takes way less time and way less dishes dirtying up.

@goudagirl6095

Жыл бұрын

oooh...so sweet AND chewy? Sounds like the best of all worlds to me.

Cute video and yes, I've been doing this ATK baked french toast recipe for months, excellent. I've had some uneven experiences but that's attributed to my oven. My favorite bread is challah but I've made it out of hearty white bread and on occasion, brioche. I want to try that Japanese bread, that looks amazing.

Love ya Dan! A local bakery used to make a sourdough blueberry swirl bread. Leaving out a handful of slices overnight to dry out, eggs, half & half, and orange peel, yum yum. A little Real maple syrup - sometimes a little whip cream (from a bowl).

Gosh I love you, Dan.your smarts, your wit, and your ability to clearly speak very quickly.

Your podcast reminded me to make more French toast! And oh by the way your kitty is really cute!

French toast is not just a favorite to me… it is a comfort food! I grew up with my mom making it from good ol’ White bread with a super basic custard. I experiment with mine more. I don’t use milk, I use heavy cream and omit butter. Brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla… I use the whole egg, but sometimes add a couple extra yolks… so good! Guess I’m going to make some this weekend!

Hey Dan, I've been making French Toast the sheet pan way for years! I have not and will not use blue food coloring! Always love seeing you!😍

French Toast was a favorite dinner growing up - of course, we didn't know it was because it was cheap. Also one of the dishes we learned in home economics. It is a dish worthy of a Dan homage (and Meowmo - love love love

I tried the sheet pan method the other day and it was absolute perfection

@eckankar7756

3 жыл бұрын

did you flip the bread or move it to the top rack and use the broiler? I've seen both methods on youtube

im bingeing your videos, so much good info.

I use the mass-market bread that grocery stores sell as "Italian bread". Works great and gives a nice crust; I think it was an early ATK recommendation. No spices, just plain egg/milk custard. The big switch is toppings--sour cream and fresh strawberries (use crème fraiche if you're putting on airs). The contrast of the warm bread and the cool cream and berries is the absolute best!

a diner near me crusts their french toast with rolled oats and extra cinnamon and its the best, nothing fancy but man it's so good.

Great video! I love Dan!

French Toast with brioche, whole milk, whole eggs vanilla and a generous dash of nutmeg. And really good maple syrup! Yummmmm! Can’t wait to try the sheet pan version!

Loved this episode!

How did I miss a Dan video!? I’m glad I realized. We need more Dan!

I’ve made the french toast the way the lady made it. It was GREAT !

I love to use sourdough from my grocery stores bakery. It makes a lovely springy, almost cakey french toast.

I personally enjoy my French toast with sourdough bread..... That tanginess of the bread and the sweetness of the custard and maple syrup is just so yummy 😋

@april_swingler

2 жыл бұрын

there is no wrong use for sourdough bread.

@What.The.Fluff.

2 жыл бұрын

Mmm my favorite! Tastes like Cracker Barrel's 😛

@mndlessdrwer

2 жыл бұрын

I've had French toast made with sourdough and it's not my preference, though I can see why some people might prefer it. It does provide a contrast of flavors, even if that contrast isn't exactly what I'm looking for in my French toast.

I like to toast the bread to dry it out, and you get the additional flavor from the Maillard reaction. I also like to add to the custard: Apple pie spice, vanilla, and maple syrup. Give it a try!

Delicious. Glad you are back. Thank you.

Man, I missed Dan so much, I’ve waiting for Dan to even teach me how to drink water.

Love you videos, my fav thing to use guy french toast is either angel food cake or pound cake... Although brioche is pretty lurpin too!!

I make my french toast with hardtack to make sure I'm starting with the driest bread.

In my family French toast was a savoury food. We'd use whole milk with eggs, salt, pepper, oregano and basil and you'd aim for a high eggs to milk ratio (think little bits of fried egg at the edges of the bread). Went very well with sausages, bacon and ketchup.

I've been making a family tradition for my whole life. The tradition is French Toast but better. 1" sliced bread (usually oven dried French bread), an egg and heavy cream custard, and an overnight soak. Leaves you with thick rich pillows of custard pudding. They puff up when you fry them and are so good!

I love using sourdough bread for French toast, especially from the SF Bay Area. Someone else mentioned it, but the crust of the toast ends up having a really good firmness

My favorite French toast is made with a cinnamon roll, as prepared at Nano Cafe in Sierra Madre, CA. Absolutely divine.

Love using sourdough bread. It absorbs the custard well and doesn't fall apart. And tastes wonderful. And we love cinnamon and vanilla in the custard.

I do a French toast bake (I believe it was a McCormick recipe from years ago) which soaks the bread in 9x13 dish overnight and I use kings Hawaiian bread. It also has a sugar & butter base on the bottom with Granny Smith apples sliced thin and raisins. I use coconut sugar now and it still tastes yummy. We do this for Christmas morning along with an egg and sausage casserole and I’m not allowed to change it. My kids have had it this way ever since they were young.

Pancakes AND French Toast? Dude be my breakfast bestie?

Dan … I use whole eggs and love your suggested cooking method …. I love your programs …

I usually make Hungarian bread similar to Polish Babka. This is my favorite. Whole eggs, milk, and vanilla.

I had a few day old croissants that I used for French toast once after slicing them in half lengthwise. It was the best French toast I've ever had.

Hey Dan! You guys actually don't have a recipe for Japanese milk bread anywhere on your site that I can find. I know you did a vid on tangzhong but there no actual recipe for making a loaf. I'd love a well tested ATK version!

@improvisewitme

3 жыл бұрын

I co-sign

@j.r.mccalla8662

3 жыл бұрын

I do as well. I almost stopped the video to get the recipe I thought might be there.

@nancyr137

3 жыл бұрын

Instead of rolls, try this recipe for a loaf, maybe. www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/8660-fluffy-dinner-rolls?incode=MCSCD00L0&ref=new_search_experience_1 OR try the cinnamon bread www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/6909-cinnamon-swirl-bread?incode=MCSCD00L0&ref=new_search_experience_3

@dcwatashi

3 жыл бұрын

You could try this link though I didn’t want to open my Instagram account. Plus there are other sites that show you how to make the Japanese bread instagram.com/p/BLWPp5RABjU/?hl=en

@michelleveach6779

3 жыл бұрын

I agree completely. Don’t show us the food, without teaching us HOW. Yum.

Yes, I've seen Stomp. :) Also like the look of your French toast/pain perdu recipes.

This is the absolute best French Toast I have ever made or eaten in my life!!!

I like adding nutmeg, cloves, and ginger to mine. I also love the flavor of French Toast made with a tangy sourdough bread, like San Luis Sourdough. Panetone makes for great French Toast as well.

@Johonnac

2 жыл бұрын

Eataly sells a dried cherry panettone during Easter & Xmas that makes TO DIE FOR French toast!

@karenryder6317

2 жыл бұрын

I don't think I would like cloves or ginger (too spicy), but I fully agree about the nutmeg. It adds a certain sophistication to the taste without the bite.

One technique you missed that is my absolute favorite for french toast is to sprinkle a nice even coating of cinnamon sugar into the pan on top of the melted butter right before putting the bread in to sear. The sugar caramelizes and becomes a glossy, crackly sugar crust on the face of the bread. It is absolutely amazing and to me at this point any french toast that doesn't have this pales in comparison

We like to use a locally made sourdough bread. We have just recently used the baking sheet in the oven method and loved it!

@FunAtDisney

3 жыл бұрын

For me sourdough is absolutely the best! A bit tangy and the crust stays crisp. Personally I like a more firm french toast (instead of mushy and custardy) and sourdough just holds up better than any other bread.

@marvelboy74

3 жыл бұрын

Another vote for sourdough here.

@karenbergstrand2772

3 жыл бұрын

Also a sourdough fan -- sliced thick and well soaked in custard.

I love putting ginger nutmeg cloves and cinnamon in the batter. Soo yummy 😋

Personally I go for a savory toast that we usually just call eggy bread rather than French toast, the same base stuff but sweet seasoning is replaced with salt and pepper.

@hearttoheart4me

3 жыл бұрын

I usually make extra, put in the fridge then use it the next day after toasting and make a sausage and egg frenchy

@theldun1

3 жыл бұрын

Was about to make the same comment. Love it salted with no sweets at all. If i want sweet i go pancakes.

@jkay88

3 жыл бұрын

What kind of bread do you use? I’ve never considered doing it without the sweets!

@elll300

3 жыл бұрын

@@jkay88 usually just whatever I have lying around that's thick, worked well for me using white all the way to a seedy granary bread

@elll300

3 жыл бұрын

@@jkay88 I suppose its just another way to eat egg on toast but as I have never been an egg texture fan but love the flavour this works for me :)

I use brioche, whole eggs, and half and half. I add a little sugar, cinnamon, and salt. I cook on an electric griddle.

I made my French toast in the oven today, amazing!!!

I learned to make this with milk, whole eggs (about evenly proportioned, but who measures?) Flavored with nutmeg and cinnamon. We usually skipped the suger because we'd be using super sweet maple syrup anyway. A while back I found myself out of nutmeg but with a while bottle of Chinese five spice. Cannot recommend enough! Super tasty!

@alysoffoxdale

2 жыл бұрын

@A Dedow You should definitely try Indian garam masala someday if you ever have that in your spice cabinet!

Dan, you are the most fun to watch at ATK !!!

I've replaced milk with Irish Cream. Might only be a good idea for weekends though but works!

@wmhaynwwsmn

3 жыл бұрын

Lol so do I!

I use cinnamon swirl bread for my French toast. To avoid the soggy center, I make the same quick flip in the custard that Lan uses.

I'm going to try this! Although, my fave part of the video was the mention of "STOMP, the international sensation." 😂

I use challah (and whole eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, salt), but my current favorite cooking method is in the waffle iron. More crispy edges and no uncooked custard. So good.

I love the science you include in these videos. And yes, I've seen STOMP!

“get outta here, skillet”...Dan is the best! His videos are great.

At Christmas time we use Hawaiian Sweet bread. Use Eggnog for the milk add eggs ,nutmeg then cook . Will try the oven method next time I make them. Yummm

@karenryder6317

2 жыл бұрын

I imagine that would be really yummy. Probably just a bit too sweet from my tastes but would work very nicely for most people.

Greek Easter bread in my house,gotta use your recommendations for the custard and method of cooking 🧑‍🍳

Good thing with french toast is some grated cheese on top, and curry sauce, thin spreading of it before adding the cheese. Specifically though, well the way I prefer it, is letting the french toast cool down a bit so it does NOT melt the cheese. The difference in texture and temperature is something I rather enjoy playing around with. Smoked paprika is also rather nice sprinkled on top before the flip. Having it only on one side adds a certain specialness to it. Bonus points if you put another spice on the other side to complement it. Maybe even a sweeter spice. Or even sauce, like sriracha or something.

Love you Dan!!

I will often add whisky and nutmeg to my French toast custard... and also a couple tablespoons of flower (which I mix the cinnamon and nutmeg with before adding) which keeps the spices from clumping up.

@geezermann7865

3 жыл бұрын

nice tips

This certainly upped my French toast game. Never added butter, cinnamon, etc to batter before. Was always just eggs, milk & bread, cooked, then slathered with syrup. . This looks so much more tasty🥰

@mndlessdrwer

2 жыл бұрын

If you're feeling lazy, you can just grab a shaker of pumpkin pie spice or a similar fall spice mix and shake some of that in. Just don't forget to add a bit of honey or sugar to the custard so you don't need to rely on the syrup to do all the heavy lifting on the sweetening. (Also, try to avoid standard thickness sandwich bread unless you want a tough, over-set custard. Try to find something thick-sliced like the Sara Lee Artisan bread, or get something from the bakery section that is unsliced and slice your own to between 3/4 and 2 inches. Soak until sufficiently floppy and saturated, then cook low and slow. Keep in a very low oven at around 150 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes to give the custard time to set before the slice cools off. This results in the best results in my experience.)

Hi Dan, do you ever do meet and greets? I'm such a fan!!!

In winter time, I use egg nog in the place of milk. Peach Bourbon also added to Maple syrup. LOL! Gotta be 21 or older to eat my version of French Toast. Totally going to do the oven version!

In Germany these are called Poor Knights or Rich Knights if you enrich the egg custard and put a filling like jam in between two slices of soaked bread. We also have a dish called "stake" (the stake you burn things at), a kind of French toast casserole made of cut-up day-old rolls, apples, raisins, and custard.

Yes I did see Stomp years ago. Fabulous. Have you?

I've always used 2 whole eggs & 1 extra yolk. Whole milk, cinnamon, 1 teas sugar. Makes a Fan-damn-tastic custard

Another nice variant is French Toast Casserole. Layer the bread in a baking dish, pour the custard over it, let it sit (up to overnight) then bake. Cut into squares and serve. With this method you can sprinkle in chopped apples, or dried fruit like figs or raisins.

Here in Sweden we have flour in the egg/milk mixture, making the end result more of a mix between pancake, crepes and US style french toast.

Adding corn starch to the custard provides a nice crunch...

We keep it so simple at our house and it's the only French toast I like. Some good quality batard, sweet or sour from Semifreddi's in San Francisco. A simple custard of whole egg, milk, and a pinch of salt. Skillet fry in BUTTER. Slather with more butter and maple syrup!

I sometimes make French toast with banana bread (if I have any leftover). It's insanely delicious.

Dan. I just watched your chocolate chip cookie episode and oh my. But I’m paleo so, any episodes you could do on baked goods for paleo would be awesome.

I am going to use some 4-day old Pillsbury cinnamon rolls tomorrow and soak them in melted vanilla ice cream before putting them in the skillet. It will be wonderful. Melted vanilla ice cream is the BEST (and easiest!) custard.

the almond sugar topping seems nice af. now i wanna try it with nutella n hazelnut as topping. sheesh i love eating science experiments

I really love your videos

Been eating French Toast for nigh on 80 years. Never heard of, or seen it made with custard. But having said that I saw things i could try.

My French Toast puffs up when I fry it. It's beautiful and something I've never seen in restaurants with their skinny sandwich bread.

I love to make French toast with cinnamon-raison bread and I add rum to the batter.

Thé Bon Appétit Milk Bread recipe is the bomb!

Know what I’m having for breakfast next weekend

When I was a kid my mom made "waffle french toast" by cooking the wet slices of bread in the waffle iron. I still do this today.

There are nice guys who don't have cats, but nearly every guy with cats is nice.

@tappychef1098

3 жыл бұрын

My brother in law seems like a meany, but he loves his cat Booger so I knew he was a good guy. 😃

@susanhammitt7080

3 жыл бұрын

SO true, my husband had never had pets in the house when he was growing up and thought cats were only for barns, but he let me get one and when I had to put her down even he said it was really lonely without her. Now he is a true cat lover and lets our latest cat sleep on our bed. In the cold weather she snuggles up to him because he is warmer. His mother would be horrified if she knew :)

@mskittyjudy6943

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely TRUE