These 5 tips will help you make the best (and easiest) French toast possible

French toast, pancakes or waffles? Decisions, decisions.

I like them all. Each contain unique flavors and textures that culminate into the perfect example of a diabetic’s nightmare. But which is the best? Is it a matter of opinion? Or is there a superior breakfast sugar carb sponge? I don’t know the answer, but all should be served with a truckload of maple syrup and butter.

My wife and I have gone back and forth through the years as to which is superior. I say waffles and she says pancakes. Naturally, as a loving husband and the primary cook in the household, I make pancakes a lot. As the saying goes “happy wife, happy life.” Also, I like pancakes quite a bit, so I would still make them for myself. (Don’t tell her though, she thinks I make pancakes special for her and I get major husband points for making them.)

But sometimes I’m just not in the mood for pancakes. After a recent spousal debate, we decided French toast would be a comfortable compromise. After all that, and my most recent batch, my wife is now a French toast convert.

French Toast is a simple dish, but there are a handful of tricks that you can apply to make something simple into something extraordinary.

How to make the best French toast

• Bread choice matters. Use an enriched dough baked with eggs and butter, such as brioche or challah. If you can’t find any, use something like French bread. The final product won’t be as rich, but still delicious. Most importantly, avoid any bread that has lots of big holes or is super crusty.
• Go thick or go home. Cut you your bread 1½ to 2 inches thick. That’s right, buy a whole, uncut loaf from the grocery store slice it yourself with a good bread knife. This will greatly improve the texture of the final product.
• Give yourself enough time to properly make your French toast. After you cut your bread, let it dry out on a wire rack overnight, or in a low oven for a couple hours. The drier the bread gets, the faster and easier it will absorb your custard base. Also, give your bread enough time to fully absorb your custard base. Overnight in the fridge should be enough time if your bread was properly dried prior to soaking it.
• Brush your French toast with maple syrup while cooking it. It will caramelize into a wonderful, glistening delicious crust that will make your mouth water.
• Don’t skimp on the butter. Both while cooking and also while serving. This is a decadent dish, keep it that way, and eat in moderation.

This story originally published in the Sacramento Bee.

This story was originally published January 11, 2023 at 8:40 AM with the headline "These 5 tips will help you make the best (and easiest) French toast possible."