Sourdough French Toast

Sourdough French Toast is a delicious breakfast recipe that’s a sweet & comforting family favorite. It's perfect for weekend brunch or to meal prep for a busy weekday morning.

Sourdough French Toast is a family favorite breakfast that’s a great way to start off your weekend.

The golden brown slices, topped with warm maple syrup and fresh berries are just so fulfilling. My favorite part has always been the melting butter running down the slices!

I used to love French toast so much as a kid that my mom would make it weekly. It was just one of those weekend breakfasts I couldn’t get enough of.

French toast is wonderful because it’s sweet, zesty, filled with warm spices, and soaked in an egg custard. You can top it with butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, a pinch of cinnamon, and more.

STALE BREAD FOR FRENCH TOAST

For the best French Toast, you have to use stale bread. That’s what makes sourdough bread so useful here. Stale bread stands up to the soaking that is necessary for French toast. It doesn’t become soggy like fresh bread does.

Thick slices of sourdough bread are a little heartier than most breads, so even if it’s not stale, it will still work wonderfully to make some delicious French toast.

SOAKING BREAD

It’s a lot to ask for, but for the best results, you have to have a little patience. Give time to let your bread soak a bit so it can really sop up that custard mixture and flavor.

You typically can’t let fresh bread soak like this because it will fall apart if left in the custard for even 1 minute per side. Old bread on the other hand, can stand up to soaking. So, if you have leftover sourdough bread or any other old bread, these will work the best.

If you’re using fresh bread, dunk your slices in the egg, but don’t let it sit in it or it will completely fall apart.

Other types of bread you can use to make French toast: challah, country white, other thick breads that are typically not whole grain

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR COOKING

For this French toast, you’ll need some very basic ingredients that you’ll likely find in your pantry already. They are:

Vanilla extract – fun fact, when I was a kid, I didn’t like the addition of vanilla extract so I would always ask for my mom to leave it out. I was able to taste the difference and for whatever reason I liked it better without! Now though, I for sure add the extract!

Orange juice – now this is not a typical ingredient, but it has found its way as a staple in my French toast recipe. the reason is because my mother-in-law always adds orange juice to her French toast and it always comes out with a little extra zing, it’s a subtle flavor that adds a little touch of citrus.

Seasonings – cinnamon and nutmeg

Eggs & milk – this is used to make the base of the custard

Toppings – the best part! You can choose anything from whipped butter & pure maple syrup to fresh fruit, powdered sugar, peanut butter, or Nutella spread!

Cooking instructions

Here’s a brief overview of how to make this recipe:

1. In a casserole dish large enough to fit 3-4 slices of bread, whisk together the eggs, milk, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.
2. Add as many slices of sourdough bread as you can fit in a single layer. Let the sourdough bread soak for about 2-3 minutes, and then flip to the other side and repeat.
3. When the French toast is done soaking, heat a griddle pan that crosses over two burners on medium-low heat. Melt the butter over the pan evenly.
4. Now, take the French toast slices out of the pan, letting the excess custard drip back into the dish. Then add it to the griddle. Repeat with the rest of the slices. Add your remaining bread to the casserole dish to soak.
5. Cook each French toast slice for 2-3 minutes per side before flipping. The French toast should be golden brown.
6. Keep the first batch of slices warm on a plate covered with aluminum foil while you wait for the second batch.
7. You could serve French Toast with a pat of butter and syrup, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, chocolate spread, peanut butter, or anything else you might like!

FAQs

How do I store leftover French Toast?

I love how easily French toast saves. You can make it on the weekend, wrap it up, and then have it again during the week on those busy mornings. Store it in the fridge wrapped tightly in foil or in an airtight container. For longer storage, wrap tightly in foil and seal in a freezer bag.

To reheat, you can either simply warm French toast in the microwave or you can heat a few slices in a large skillet on medium heat.

What can I top my French Toast with?

You could serve French Toast with a pat of butter and syrup, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, chocolate spread, peanut butter, or anything else you might like!

Can I make French Toast without stale bread?

If your bread isn’t stale, you can simply toast it in the oven to at least give it some grit so that the egg mixture has something to hang on to and doesn’t make your bread completely soggy.

Other brunch recipes you might like

French Toast Casserole

Potato & Sausage Breakfast Frittata

Zucchini Mozzarella Bisquick Quiche

Coconut Flour Protein Pancakes

VARIATIONS

Different ways to make this could be by:

• Adding brown sugar to your custard
• Making the French toast in a cast-iron skillet
• Adding a filling between two slices of French toast like jam, peanut butter, or hazelnut spread
• Making an egg sandwich between two slices of French toast, talk about wow!

Nutrition

A serving of French toast is two slices. Each serving contains 313 calories, 11.6 g fat, 38.8 g carbs,&  13.7 g protein.

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Print

Sourdough French Toast

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American, French

Keyword Butter, Cinnamon, French Toast, Maple Syrup, Nutmeg, Orange Juice

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 8 slices sourdough bread
• 4 eggs
• 4 tbsp milk
• 4 tbsp orange juice
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp whipped butter
• Syrup fruit, & other toppings

Instructions

1. In a casserole dish large enough to fit 3-4 slices of bread, whisk together the 4 eggs, milk, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. (Alternatively, you can whisk this all together in a large bowl & then pour into the casserole dish).
2. Add as many slices of sourdough bread as you can fit without stacking. Let the sourdough bread soak about 2-3 minutes, and then flip to the other side and repeat.
3. If your bread is particularly hearty and stiff, you might need to let it soak an additional minute per side to really make sure the bread is absorbing the egg mixture like a sponge.
4. When the French toast is done soaking, heat a griddle pan that crosses over two burners on low-medium heat. Drop two tbsp of the butter onto the griddle and melt all over the pan evenly.
5. Now, take the French toast slices out of the pan, letting the excess custard drip back into the dish. Then add it to the griddle. Repeat with the rest of the slices, and then add your remaining bread to the casserole dish to soak.
6. Cook each French toast slice for 2-3 minutes per side before flipping. The French toast should be golden brown.
7. Keep the first batch of slices warm on a plate covered with foil while you wait for the second batch.
8. You could serve French Toast with butter and syrup, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, chocolate spread, peanut butter, or anything else you might like!

Recipe Notes

• If you don’t have a griddle pan, you can use a large skillet.

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