Crunchy Maple French Toast with Maple-Whiskey Butter Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What can I put on French toast instead of maple syrup? ›

Sweeteners: we're just adding a little brown sugar or coconut sugar to perfectly sweeten each piece of french toast. Coconut sugar is a bit of a more nutritious option, whereas brown sugar is more classic. Optional: add a hint of citrus by zesting one orange! Totally optional, but so dang delicious.

It could be because of the bread you used. If the bread you start with is too soft (such as white sandwich bread), it won't absorb all of the wonderful custard that it should, and it might end up soggy. If you find yourself with a soggy casserole, for whatever reason, try baking it a bit longer until it firms up some.

A heat of 350º will cause your toast to be more browned, while a heat of 400º will result in a crunchy texture. Remember that the higher the temperature is, the less time it needs on each side. Try leaving your toast in for four to five minutes on each side.

How to Warm French Bread in the Oven. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Wrap the bed in foil to protect the crust from burning, and place it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. If you like a crispier crust, remove the foil a minute or two before it's done, but keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn.

Nail the Egg-to-Milk Ratio

Eggs and milk are the essential components of the custard base that gives French toast its tender richness—but get their ratio off and you'll wind up with undercooked slices that have an unpleasantly savory "scrambled eggs" flavor.

Amber, Rich maple syrup's all maple flavor makes it popular for table and all around use. Use it on pancakes, waffles and French toast, over yogurt and fruit, or in your coffee or tea. A pronounced maple flavor, notes of caramel and brown sugar are present.

For a solid French toast, aim for sturdy bread with a uniform texture and a soft crust. Hearty sandwich bread, brioche, challah, and shokupan (Japanese milk bread) are all great choices. Avoid rustic loaves with thick crusts or large holes in the interior.

Keep it crispy

He recommends setting the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. On the second rack, Brown lines up his slices of bread dipped in the egg and milk mixture. He lets them sit for a minute before frying them, either in a pan or on an electric griddle.

You don't want to use too much milk. Your batter should be more egg-y than milk-y if you want non-soggy toast. Serve this spread with butter, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and fresh berries, or drizzle in in syrup for the best breakfast on earth.

If the bread is in a paper bag, remove it from the bag before putting it back into the oven. This step draws excess moisture out of the crust and makes it pleasingly crisp again. Plus, your kitchen will smell like warm, fresh bread. And what's not to love about that?

How do you keep toast from getting soggy? ›

Fortunately, there's an easy way to prevent that sogginess and keep your bread just as crisp as it is when it comes out of the toaster. All you'll need to do is take two freshly toasted slices of bread, stand them up on an angle, and balance them against each other so that the two slices resemble the sides of a tent.

Why does my French toast come out soggy in the middle? Because you're cooking it with the Heat on too high. Pancakes should be done on medium-high heat, about 375. French toast needs to be set much lower, like eggs, about 325.

Butter gives French toast a deep richness and comforting quality, which are what we crave on mornings we sizzle this breakfast staple. To prevent burning or smoking, use a combination of butter and oil in the pan to cook the toast.