French toast is the champion of brunch. Nothing says "weekend" like tucking into what should be a dessert (it's basically fried bread pudding) and washing it down with something bubbly that you can cloak in orange juice and serve in a flute. We asked Bon Appetit's senior food editor Alison Roman and digital food editor Dawn Perry to troubleshoot our most common French toast mistakes. Their tips below:
Jeremy Liebman
- Adding too much dairy and sugar to the custard
Don't go overboard with the dairy. If there's too much, the egg in the mixture won't cook, meaning wet, soggy, bread. You want the French toast to be dry on the surface with slightly crisp edges. As for the sugar, if you're adding maple syrup, honey, or dusting the toast with powdered sugar on the plate, you don't need the custard to be too sweet. - Not mixing the custard thoroughly
You don't want pieces of egg white showing up on your perfectly browned slices. Make sure to whisk the custard until the dairy, eggs, and spices (if using) are well combined. - Not choosing the right bread
French toast is like bread pudding. It soaks up a custard for a creamy texture on the inside and a slightly crunchy texture on the outside. If the bread is very thin, it will be too flimsy to hold together when dipped in the custard. If it's too thick, it will never cook to the center. The ideal thickness for a slice of French toast is 3/4" to 1" thick. And make sure to pick a kind of bread that's both spongy and sturdy enough not to fall apart during cooking. Brioche, challah, or a Pullman loaf are all ideal, which is why you'll see them on brunch menus so often. - Under-soaking the bread
Lots of home cooks quickly dip each side of the bread in the custard before throwing it in the pan. The bread has to soak in the egg mixture; you want it to penetrate the bread for a soft, custardy center. This requires some firm yet gentle pressure—and let the bread soak for at least 15-20 minutes. - Using too much heat or not enough
French toast is not a steak—you don't want to scorch the surface. Since there's sugar in the egg mixture (the custard), it will caramelize and burn quickly. Plus, the inside won't cook entirely, and you'll be left with a burnt-yet-soggy piece of French toast. Conversely, if you cook it on too low a temperature, the bread will dry out and you won't have that nice, soft center that makes French toast so decadent. Cook three to four minutes per side over medium heat. - Not preheating the pan
If the pan isn't hot enough when you put your first slice in, the custard spreads out, forming a "foot" on the bottom of the French toast. When the pan is hot enough, the batter won't have time to seep; the custard will start cooking as soon as it hits the pan. - Only using butter
Give the pan a light coating of neutral oil and butter. This will help prevent the butter from burning. And make sure to wipe out the pan after every batch, then use a fresh combination of neutral oil and butter. Otherwise, the butter will burn and little black bits will stick to the next batch of French toast.
Put your skills to the test: BA's Best French Toast Recipe
