Clean Eating French Toast {A 15 Minute Recipe!} (2024)

FAQs

What is French toast called in France and what does it mean? ›

The usual French name is pain perdu (French: [pɛ̃ pɛʁdy] 'lost bread', reflecting its use of stale or otherwise "lost" bread. It may also be called pain doré 'golden bread' in Canada.

That iconic, special-occasion, breakfast-in-bed treat that so many people long for – only to end up with soggy, burnt toast and a big mess in the kitchen. The ideal French toast is browned and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

If the dairy to egg ratio is too high, the egg won't get cooked properly which will lead to soggy french toast. So lessen the amount of dairy and maybe add in less sugar and you should get the perfect french toast. Then again, you can only get a certain level of crispiness from a french toast.

But it is known by a variety of names including German toast, eggy bread, French-fried bread, gypsy toast, Poor Knights of Windsor, Spanish toast, nun's toast, and pain perdu which means “lost bread” in French.

What's the difference between French toast and eggy bread? In general, French Toast tends to be sweet and eggy bread is more savoury. With French toast, you might have cinnamon, syrup and berries, whereas eggy bread is more likely to be paired with bacon or a fried egg. However, French toast can also be savoury.

The earliest recorded record for a dish resembling French toast was discovered in a 4th-century Roman cookbook by Marcus Gabius Apicius called "Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome." The recipe is called aliter dulcia (translation: "another sweet dish") and describes pieces of crustless white bread that are soaked in ...

Season Your French Toast Batter

Milk and eggs are the only essentials required for the custard base—but it's how you season the mixture that will give your French toast a distinctive flavor. A pinch of cinnamon and some vanilla extract are standard upgrades—and a little sugar never hurts either.

The first is using fresh bread, which soaks up too much of the egg mixture and doesn't cook through, remaining eggy and soggy in the middle. Leaving the bread in the egg mixture for too long is another route to soggy French toast.

Your perfect companion for making French toast is a non-stick frying pan. CRISTEL® has an exceptional selection of non-stick frying pans with removable handles that are great for both pan-frying and also oven-cooking.

The Two-Hour Rule

Havern explains: "The maximum amount of time perishable foods can [spend] in the danger zone is two hours. At two hours, the food must be consumed, stored correctly, or thrown away. This includes all cooked leftovers, [chopped] fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products."

How do you keep French toast crispy? ›

The secret to making crunchy French toast: before dipping in the custard, spread a thin layer of butter onto the bread and scrape off with breadknife so that only a little is left behind. The more butter you put on the bread slices, the crunchier it will be, but too much will prevent it from absorbing the custard.

Ideally it's best if you can soak the bread in the french toast batter overnight however, if this cannot be done I suggest leaving it soak for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour. As we want that custard like middle, cut very thick slices of bread.

Storage: Proper storage is crucial. Once the French bread has cooled down completely after baking, store it in a paper bag or a bread box. Avoid using plastic bags as they can trap moisture and make the crust soggy. The paper bag or bread box will allow the bread to breathe.