There are just a few keys to making great French toast: Use stale bread (fresh tends to fall apart), make sure the bread is sliced at least 3/4-inch thick (it helps maximize soaking for a custardy interior) and watch your soaking time (a shorter time equals a slightly drier toast, a longer time yields a more custardy one).
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 5 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 8 slices Texas Toast or other 3/4-inch-sliced white bread
- 8 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Confectioners’ sugar, for serving
- Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lay the bread slices in one layer (it’s OK if they overlap a little) on a baking sheet. Bake the slices (to dry them out a little) for 6 minutes, then flip and bake for 6 minutes more. Set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees F.
- Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in a large casserole dish.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Place 2 slices of bread in the egg mixture. Let the bread completely soak in the egg mixture on both sides, about 30 seconds to 1 minute total, checking after 15 seconds. (Bread should feel heavy and soaked through but hold its shape without breaking apart.) Melt a tablespoon of butter in the skillet and add the 2 soaked slices; cook until the outside is golden brown and crisp and the inside is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. You will need to watch and adjust the temperature between medium and medium-low if the bread is browning too quickly or not browning fast enough. Keep finished French toast slices warm on a rack nested in a rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Repeat with the remaining slices.
- Serve with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and drizzle of maple syrup.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 620 |
| Total Fat | 33 g |
| Saturated Fat | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 58 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 31 g |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Cholesterol | 436 mg |
| Sodium | 537 mg |
Reviews
Used cinnamon raisin bread, very good.
This recipe is MISSING the MOST IMPORTANT ingredient: A GENEROUS dash of ground NUTMEG added to the mix. This is the KEY ingredient!!! It makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE!!!
Always a family favorite especially for those breakfast for dinner days!
Delicious omg spoon good. Family woke up to these and went really get back to sleep lol…. Weekend POWER!!!!!!
Amazing! It came out perfect!
Basic and easy to remember recipe
Perfect. I used Challah bread and the family raved about it.
Nothing fancy. Just good old time goodness the way you want it. Used brown sugar instead of regular this time. Both ways are awesome. Don’t cheap out on the syrup. Only real maple.
Did Alton Brown write this recipe! I instantly heard his voice from Good Eats speaking to me lol
Want to Try this. Just a quick question.. What is Half-and -half. In my part of the world i know half-and -half to be minced meat mixture of beef and pork. But am thinking for this recipe its milk and definitely not meat.ops i must give a rating before i can post this. so i’ll give a five for now.