Classic French Toast Recipe (With Step by Step and

20 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Servings:

6

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Crispy on the outside and custardy inside, French toast makes a delicious breakfast or brunch recipe. It's a simple dish made with basic ingredients you likely already have on hand: milk or cream, eggs, butter, and bread. When Martha makes our classic French toast recipe, she uses rich breads like brioche or challah that make it extra pillowy, but any white bread will do. Just be sure the bread is slightly stale (a day or two old) since fresh bread will soak up too much custard.

Follow our tips to avoid soggy French toast, and be sure to preheat the oven to keep the first slices warm and crispy while you cook the rest. Then enjoy with maple syrup or your favorite toppings.

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Brie Goldman

The Origins of French Toast

Despite its name, French toast did not originate in France. Most evidence suggests that cooks have been making a similar dish in many different countries for centuries. The origins of the dish are believed to date back to ancient Rome. French toast is known and enjoyed in France, where it is called pain perdu (lost bread) but the evidence that French toast is a truly French dish is scant.

The Best Types of Bread for French Toast

French toast can be made with any type of bread, but you must use bread that is a day or two old. Older bread will be drier and hold up better in the egg mixture. Fresh bread soaks up too much of the mixture and tends to fall apart.

You can use anything from leftover croissants to cinnamon-raisin bread to French bread or sliced white bread for French toast. Martha prefers rich, spongy breads like brioche and challah for making French toast—and these are our go-to's.

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Ingredients

6 large eggs

1 ½ cups heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

6 slices (1-inch-thick) bread, preferably day old

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Pure maple syrup, for serving (optional)

Directions

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Brie Goldman

Whisk eggs, cream, vanilla, and spices:

Whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

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Brie Goldman

Arrange bread in shallow dish:

Place bread in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold bread slices in a single layer.

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Brie Goldman

Soak bread in egg mixture:

Pour egg mixture over bread; soak 10 minutes. Turn slices over; soak until soaked through, about 10 minutes more.

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Brie Goldman

Cook French toast:

Preheat oven to 250°F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet, and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry half the bread slices until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack and place in preheated oven while cooking remaining French toast.

Wipe skillet, and repeat with remaining butter, oil, and bread.

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Brie Goldman

The rack allows for air circulation so the slices stay crisp. If they were sitting directly on the baking rack or were stacked on top of each other, they could get soggy.

Serve:

Serve warm with pure maple syrup, if desired.

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Brie Goldman

How to Store and Reheat Leftover French Toast

Leftover French toast can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For longer storage, place slices of French toast between pieces of wax paper, then place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Refrigerated French toast can be reheated in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven or air-fryer until hot, about 5 minutes, or in the microwave for 1 minute.

Variations

French toast is an infinitely variable dish. Flavor the egg mixture with spices, booze (Martha likes Grand Marnier), citrus zest, or flavored extracts, such as almond. Take it up a notch by making a baked French toast casserole or stuffed French toast. 

If you're avoiding dairy, simply swap the amount of cow's milk in the recipe for the same amount of an alternative milk. If possible, we recommend using a thicker dairy-free milk—like oat milk or soy milk—for the egg mixture rather than a thinner one.

What to Serve With French Toast

French toast needs little more than a drizzle of maple syrup for serving, but you shouldn't feel the need to stop there. There are so many ways to top those golden, custardy slices, including:

To round out the rest of the meal, consider adding a side of bacon or breakfast sausage and/or some fried or scrambled eggs. And if you're hosting a group for brunch, consider adding a creamy quiche or this gorgeous, berry-studded baked oatmeal.

5 More French Toast Recipes to Try

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, April 2001

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Updated by

Esther Reynolds

Esther Reynolds

Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.