I’m one of those people who loves dessert for breakfast. Whether it’s a glazed donut, a slice or two of banana bread, or a fruity blueberry muffin, I can’t say no. But among all the sweet morning treats there ever was, French toast is hands down my all-time favorite. I mean, what’s not to love? You have bread that’s crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The custardy goodness from the milk and eggs makes everything sublime. As if that’s not wonderful enough, there’s also the sweet and sticky maple syrup to top it all off. It is ridiculously delicious!
Brioche French Toast
There are a ton of French toast recipes out there that claim to be the best of the best. But if you ask me, it has to be this one. For one, we’re using Brioche – aka the quintessential bread for making French toast. There’s also the addition of browned butter, which gives the dish such a nutty and caramel-y flavor. And finally, it’s baked to perfection, making sure that even the thickest slices will cook just right – not too soggy, not too dry. So, if you’re up for a hearty breakfast you won’t soon forget, go ahead, give this recipe for Brioche French toast a try. I promise you won’t regret it!
Why Use Brioche Bread For Your French Toast?
The key to making the perfect French toast is a sturdy and spongy bread. A super-soft bread won’t work, as it will only disintegrate as you drench it in the milk and egg mixture. You need a bread that can handle being soaked in liquid for a few minutes. Brioche has the perfect balance of softness and toughness, making it the ideal candidate. Aside from the consistency, Brioche also has a rich, buttery, and slightly sweet flavor. When soaked in the custard mixture, it just tastes even better. Oh, and when it cooks, it puffs up really nice, giving you such a pretty and appetizing dish!
Best Toppings for French Toast
Want to add more excitement to your French toast? Well, apart from the classic maple syrup, here are more fun ideas to make your French toast taste even more drool-worthy.
Give your French toast a burst of flavor by topping it with berries! Whether it’s blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, or a combination of them all, you can’t go wrong. How about a simple powdered sugar and butter combo? A timeless classic that will never disappoint.Aside from maple syrup, other liquid sweeteners such as agave and honey work fine as well.Add a nice crunch to your toast by topping it with sprinkles or just some white sugar. For a nutty flavor, top it with toasted pecans, cashews, pine nuts, or walnuts. Make your toast a la Elvis by smothering it with peanut butter and topping it with banana slices and bacon bits. Yum.Other sweet spreads such as chocolate, cookie butter, hazelnut, and jams also pair well with French toast.Want something more savory? Top your toast with a fried egg, ham, or sausages!Not a topping per se, but this ingredient will add a nice kick to your French toast. Add a few tablespoons of rum, Grand Marnier, or Amaretto to your custard mix for a more exciting meal. Don’t worry, the addition of liqueur won’t get you drunk at all. It will just enhance the flavor of your toast.French toast is already decadent as it is, but you can still amp things up by giving it a rich and thick cream cheese filling. Just whisk together softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, and you’re all set.
Tips & Tricks
Making French toast is not the easiest. Several things could go wrong, especially on your first try. But that shouldn’t stop you! This section will guide you through all the basics of making French toast, plus give you tips and tricks to prevent you from making blunders.
When making French toast, it’s important to use stale and dry bread. You’ll only waste time and money with fresh bread, as it’s too soft and will break apart when dipped in the custard. So, whether you’re using Brioche, sourdough, challah, French bread, and ciabatta, it’s better to wait for at least a day before you turn it into French toast.
But if you just have to have French toast now, you can speed things up by baking the bread for 10 minutes at 275 degrees. That will help dry up the bread.
You’ll also want the bread to have just the right level of thickness, which is around ¾ to an inch thick. If your bread is too thin, it will crumble into the custard mixture. If it’s way too thick, the center won’t cook, giving you a mushy toast.The other important element to French toast is the custard. You’ll want to add just the right amount of milk and eggs in there, otherwise, you’ll get either a scrambled-egg tasting toast or one that’s way too mushy. For the perfect custard, use a ratio of 1 egg per ¼ cup of milk. You may also opt to use just the egg yolks if you’re not a fan of the egg’s flavor.When making the custard, use room temperature milk and eggs. If you use them straight from the fridge, the custard will have a grainy consistency. You may strain it as well if you prefer to get rid of egg lumps. Chill the custard mixture in the fridge for at least two hours (better if overnight) for a greater tasting toast. Soak the bread well before you cook it. If you don’t soak it long enough, the center will be all dry! A good 1-2 minutes per side is best.Cook the bread in a mixture of butter and oil. Butter has a low smoke point, so if you use it solely, the outside of the bread will cook too fast. This means you’ll get burned on the outside but uncooked on the inside toast. Yikes. The best temperature for cooking toast is medium high-heat. If your temperature is too high, the toast won’t cook evenly. If the temperature is too low, the custard will spread at the bottom of the pan.
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