The Best French Toast

I used to make french toast with just egg, milk, and vanilla. No measuring, just mix it up and dipped the bread in. I thought it was one of those things I didn’t need a recipe for. Then my sister made me this french toast. I have been using this recipe ever since.

The recipe is adopted from The New Best Recipes cookbook, from the editors of “Cook’s Illustrated”. All the recipes in the book are considered the best recipes by the editors. The two recipes I make most often from the book are the pancake and french toast recipes. They are both great.

My daughter loves the french toast, which is a great way to use up stale bread.  I usually use Honey Whole Wheat bread from Great Harvest Bread Company. 

The Best French Toast

Ingredients:
1 large egg 
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 slices day-old bread
oil to grease the pan 

1. Heat the pan over medium heat for a few minutes.
2. Beat the egg lightly in a shallow dish or pie plate. Whisk in melted butter, milk and vanilla. Then add sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.  
3. Dip the bread in the egg mixture – about 30 seconds on each side. Let the excess drip off each slice back into the pan. 
4. Coat the pan with butter or oil, then cook the bread on each side until golden brown – about two minutes for the first side and one minute for the second side. 

Note: I use whole wheat bread, which seems to cook better if cooked at a slightly lower heat (medium-low) for a longer time – maybe three minutes for the first side and two minutes for the second.

I always cook extra french toast and re-heat the next morning in the toaster oven for about five minutes. Re-heating in the oven or toaster oven keeps the bread crispy, not soggy.

[Photo Credit: French Toast]