Properly decadent french toast
There’s the basic way to make french toast, and then there’s the proper way. It’s evolved from a way to rescue stale bread into a highly yummy carbohydrate delivery system for the weekend. This recipe almost feels more like pain perdu than ordinary “french toast”.
Here’s my variation; the batter came from a recipe for Raspberry-cream-cheese stuffed french toast, but with this you don’t need the raspberry stuffing. (I serve it as a topping sometimes.)
So first — find a bakery that makes a proper Challah bread — the traditional Jewish sabbath bread, usually available on Fridays and Saturdays. Store-bought is OK in a pinch. The loaves we get are about 10 inches long; the full recipe for the batter makes just barely enough for one loaf. Slice the challah into 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch slices, and set aside for a few hours to dry — or if you’re in a rush, turn on an oven to its lowest setting (170 degrees usually?), let it preheat, then turn it off — then set the sliced bread in the oven for 10-20 minutes to dry out.
The batter is really what makes it — yes, you really do need all that cinnamon. The heavier the cream you can get the better. I like Trader Joe’s Heavy Cream that comes in the smallish plastic bottle; its butterfat is between 38% and 42%, whereas most grocery store heavy cream only makes it up to 36%. You can also use Manufacturing Cream (available from restaurant supply stores like Smart ‘n’ Final), though you have to buy that in half gallon sizes (the rest of the carton makes a spectacular whipped cream, too — add some vanilla and sugar and beat the heck out of it).
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf Challah, sliced and left to dry (on the counter or in a very low oven)
- 4 beaten eggs
- 1 cup very heavy cream — the heavier the better. (38% butterfat or more)
- 2 tablespoons (yes) vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (also yes) cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- Butter for frying (again, high butterfat or “European style” if you can, and unsalted)
Equipment:
- Baking pan with wire rack on top (so air can circulate underneath the french toast when baking)
- Mixing bowl wide enough to fit the bread slices in to soak in the batter
- Frying pan
- Serving platter
Once the bread is nice and dry, mix up your batter, remove the bread from the oven if it was in there, and preheat the oven to 350°. Mix the batter so the cinnamon is as evenly distributed through the batter as you can get it, but don’t worry if it won’t mix all the way or you still have lumps. Put a frying pan on medium heat (enough to keep the butter melted and slightly brown, but not high enough to burn the butter when it gets too hot). I always end up having to move the frying pan on and off the heat to keep it at the right temperature.
Soak each slice in the batter on both sides for about 30 seconds, then fry them up, a few minutes on each side. The batter contacting the pan will firm up and brown nicely when that side is done.
Once each slice is well fried, place it in the oven on the wire rack baking pan; keep all the slices in the oven and add each one as you finish frying it. You can lean the slices against each other.
Keep the slices in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until they crisp up just a little bit (the sides of the slices should dry nicely). Timing isn’t critical here; you can have the newest slices in only for a few minutes, and the older slices in for a while longer.
Once it’s all done, pull the slices out of the oven and serve. Add powdered sugar and syrup if you like, but the slices may not need it.
Best french toast ever.
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