This thick, fluffy challah French toast is soaked in an eggy custard with cinnamon, vanilla, and grated nutmeg. Golden, spongy challah bread is one of the simplest ways to degree up basic French toast!
With colder climate quick approaching, I’m all about cozy breakfast concepts like baked French toast, buttermilk pancakes, and stacks of challah French toast drenched in maple syrup!
Now that fall is right here, our weekend mornings include all issues waffles, pancakes, and the fabulous cinnamon roll casserole. That is my favourite challah French toast recipe, ready the standard method with fluffy bread slices soaked in a wealthy, creamy custard, then grilled on the griddle. I’ve made French toast with challah for years, and it by no means fails to provide the most effective French toast!
What’s So Particular About Challah Bread French Toast, Anyway?
- Candy, fluffy bread. French toast is a superb method to make use of up leftover bread. Drying challah in a single day provides it the right texture. It soaks up the custard like a sponge.
- Creamy do-it-yourself custard. The eggy custard is infused with actual vanilla, honey, and freshly grated nutmeg.
- Straightforward to make. Making French toast at residence couldn’t be simpler, and I’ll present you ways with useful ideas and methods.
You’ll Want These Elements
This challah French toast recipe begins with easy elements and ends with a scrumptious stack of thick, ethereal French toast that’s crisp exterior and never soggy in any respect. Beneath are some fast notes. You should definitely scroll to the printable recipe card for the complete recipe measurements and step-by-step directions.
- Challah Bread – Challah is a gentle, wealthy bread loaf that tastes just like brioche. It’s made with eggs and a touch of honey, and with out dairy or meat elements. I really like swapping between challah and brioche in recipes for French toast and blueberry bread pudding.
- Eggs and Half-and-Half – To make the custard. You’ll be able to substitute half-and-half with milk for a lighter custard.
- Honey – Heat up the honey within the microwave for 30 seconds. You may additionally use maple syrup or agave as an alternative.
- Vanilla and Nutmeg – Grated nutmeg has the freshest, most vibrant taste. If wanted, substitute barely much less floor nutmeg (about 3/4 teaspoon of floor nutmeg for each 1 teaspoon of recent).
- Butter – For cooking. You need to use cooking oil or spray, like PAM, if wanted; it simply gained’t have the identical taste as butter.
Use Day-Previous Challah Bread
The very best bread for French toast is day-old bread. It’s because the challah will absorb extra of the custard when it’s barely stale and dry, with out turning into mushy. My simple trick is to dry out the bread slices in a single day:
Minimize the challah loaf into thick 1” slices, and lay the slices out on a cooling rack. Permit the bread to dry in a single day. It’ll be the right texture for French toast by morning.
In the event you neglect to dry out the challah in a single day, you may pace up the method by inserting the challah slices in your oven at 300ºF for 10-Quarter-hour. Flip the bread midway via. You need the bread to be dry, however not toasted.
Suggestions for the Finest French Toast
- Use stale bread. See the part above for particulars. Stale, day-old bread is drier and soaks up the custard higher consequently.
- Combine the custard totally. Whisk the custard elements so the combination is easy and uniform. This manner, you’ll keep away from streaks of egg white.
- Don’t over-soak. Often, soaking the bread within the custard for two minutes per facet, adopted by one other 2-3 minutes on a draining rack, is sufficient. In the event you over-soak the bread, it turns into soggy.
- Keep watch over the warmth. I like to recommend cooking French toast over medium warmth. If the pan is just too scorching, the skin of the toast will burn earlier than the within cooks via.
- Use oil as an alternative of butter. In the event you discover that the butter you’re utilizing for cooking is beginning to burn, add a small quantity of oil to the pan. Vegetable oil has a better smoke level than butter.
French Toast Toppings
You’ll be able to all the time hold it plain with a light-weight dusting of confectioners’ sugar. However at our breakfast desk, you’ll discover this challah French toast loaded with toppings! A few of my favourite toppings for French toast embrace:
Incessantly Requested Questions
Not like brioche and different enriched breads, kosher challah bread is made with out dairy or butter. As an alternative, its richness comes from oil and eggs.
Brioche, French bread, sourdough, and even common white bread will all work for French toast. The secret is to make use of dry, day-old bread.
Pin this now to search out it later
-
Slice the bread and pass over in a single day. In case your challah is recent, lower it into thick slices and lay them out on a cooling rack to dry in a single day.
Make the French Toast
-
Prep your instruments. Place a drying rack over a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 190ºF and place a separate oven-safe drying rack over a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper within the oven. (So you have to two units of drying racks set over lined baking sheets.)
-
Make the custard. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, half & half, heat honey, salt, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon till totally mixed, then pour right into a 9×9 baking dish.
-
Add the bread. Soak the dried bread slices within the custard, 2 slices at a time, for about 2 minutes per facet. Then set the soaked bread on the wire rack (the one exterior the oven) so any additional custard can drip off earlier than cooking. Sprinkle every slice with a pinch or two of cinnamon to style.
-
Prepare dinner. After soaking for about 3 to 4 minutes, cook dinner the soaked bread on a greased griddle or pan, buttered with 1 tablespoon of butter, over medium warmth. Don’t overcrowd the pan/griddle (I cook dinner two slices at a time).
-
Prepare dinner the bread slices on both sides for about 2 minutes. Examine for doneness judging by colour. All sides needs to be golden brown. Make certain the slices cook dinner via and evenly (rotate them round in case your pan or griddle has scorching spots). Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the griddle after every batch of French toast has cooked, and let it foam and subside earlier than including the subsequent batch.
-
Preserve heat within the oven. That is non-obligatory, however an effective way to serve your toast heat. As soon as they’re cooked, place them on the rack that is contained in the oven, batch by batch, to maintain heat.
-
Serve. I wish to serve French toast with do-it-yourself whipped cream, maple syrup, and blueberries.
Energy: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 8g | Fats: 19g | Saturated Fats: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 6g | Trans Fats: 0.2g | Ldl cholesterol: 207mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 698IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 1mg
Dietary information is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values could fluctuate in line with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
How you can Make Challah French Toast
Collect the challah bread slices that you just dried in a single day (see the Elements part earlier). Then, comply with the steps beneath to organize a batch of fluffy challah French toast for breakfast:
- Put together two baking sheets. Line each baking sheets with parchment paper and place wire racks on prime of every sheet. You’ll use one to empty the challah after it soaks within the custard. The second rack will probably be used to maintain the cooked toast heat within the oven (ensure that not less than one of many racks is oven-safe).
- Make the custard. Whisk the eggs and half-and-half in a bowl with vanilla, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt to make the custard. Pour this right into a 9×9” baking dish or a shallow bowl.
- Soak the bread. Working in batches, soak the dried bread slices for two minutes per facet. Transfer the soaked bread to one of many baking sheets with a drying rack. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon, and let the slices relaxation on the rack for about 3 minutes.
- Prepare dinner the French toast. Now, add the soaked bread to a buttered griddle over medium warmth. Prepare dinner the French toast for about 2 minutes per facet, till it’s golden on each side. Proceed to cook dinner 2-4 slices at a time, buttering the griddle once more between batches.
- Preserve heat. As you end cooking the French toast, transfer the slices to your second, unused rack with the baking sheet. Place these slices within the oven to maintain heat.
- Serve. When you’ve cooked your entire challah French toast, serve it up with dollops of whipped cream, recent berries, and some glugs of maple syrup. Take pleasure in!
Straightforward Variations to Strive
In the event you’re on the lookout for one thing totally different, strive utilizing challah bread in my savory French toast and pumpkin French toast recipes. You’ll be able to slice and dry out the bread beforehand, as directed on this recipe.
Storing and Reheating Leftover French Toast
- Refrigerate. Retailer leftover challah French toast slices in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- Reheat. Heat the French toast within the oven, toaster oven, or within the microwave till it’s scorching all through once more.
- Freeze. You’ll be able to freeze your leftover French toast for as much as 2 months. Retailer it in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and thaw it within the fridge earlier than reheating.
