Sourdough French Toast

Recipe by Sarah Jampel
Not Yet Reviewed

This sourdough French toast proves that you don’t need leftover challah or brioche to make excellent French toast. Unlike enriched bread, sourdough is naturally flavorful and can absorb more of the delicious custard without getting soggy. To offset the lean, tangy bread, we soak the slices in half-and-half, rather than milk, and sweeten the custard generously. To take it to the next level, add a sprinkle of raw sugar over the bread before flipping it — the sugar caramelizes and crisps when it hits the hot pan.

Prep
20 mins
Total
25 mins
Yield
4 servings
Sourdough French Toast - select to zoom
Sourdough French Toast - select to zoom
Sourdough French Toast - select to zoom
Sourdough French Toast - select to zoom

Instructions

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  1. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Set a wire rack inside a baking sheet.   

  2. In a large, shallow dish (a pie pan or an 8" square pan works well), whisk together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add the eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla, and whisk until combined and no streaks of egg remain. 

  3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  

  4. Working with two slices of bread at a time, soak the bread in the egg mixture for 1 minute on each side; the bread should be saturated but not soggy. 

  5. When the skillet is hot, coat the bottom with a thin slick of vegetable oil (1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons) and a small pat of butter (the oil is for even browning; the butter is for flavor).  

  6. Add the soaked bread and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary, until the bottom is nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the bread with raw sugar, if using, then flip and cook until browned and caramelized on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the French toast to the wire rack and keep warm in the oven.  

  7. Repeat with the remaining bread slices, wiping out the pan between batches if using the raw sugar (to prevent burning) and greasing the pan with more oil and butter as needed.  

  8. Serve the sourdough French toast warm, topped with maple syrup, a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, and/or fresh berries as desired. 

Tips from our Bakers

  • In place of half-and-half, use cream, milk, or a mixture of the two. 

  • We tested this recipe with a crusty sourdough bâtard made with mostly white flour. Keep in mind that denser breads with a larger percentage of whole wheat flour (like miche) will make for heartier and more robustly flavored French toast. 

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