I Tried the Most Popular French Toast Recipe on the Internet — And I’ll Make It This Way From Now On

Nathan Hutsenpiller
·4 min read
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french toast with butter and syrup
Credit: Nathan Hutsenpiller Credit: Nathan Hutsenpiller

When it comes to French toast, I don’t mess around. No matter what time of day it is or what food I was craving in the first place, if I sit down at a restaurant and see French toast on the menu, I get tunnel vision until I black out. What usually happens next is I wake up sitting in front of a beautiful display of breakfast glory, and I happily start to dig in.

French toast can be prepared in a number of different ways, including the classics that are served up with a little mixed fruit and Nutella, or the lumberjack-themed options with bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns on the side. And while I will turn no plate away described in such a way, I also cannot deny how strong French toast with the simple addition of butter and maple syrup stands on its own.

As much as I enjoy having French toast from some of my favorite restaurants, I also love making it from scratch at home. And lately, the way the weather has been getting much colder, I can’t help but find myself craving a hearty stack of one of my favorite breakfast foods. After coming across Laura Allen’s recipe for an Easy French Toast, which comes together in just 15 minutes, I decided I had deprived myself of happiness for long enough. All I needed was a little bit of inspiration, and boy was Allen’s recipe exactly that.

french toast in pan
Credit: Nathan Hutsenpiller Credit: Nathan Hutsenpiller

How to Make Lauren Allen’s Easy French Toast

To begin, preheat a skillet over medium heat and in a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and flour until no lumps remain. Add milk, granulated sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract, whisking until well combined. Once the skillet is hot, grease with butter or cooking spray before moving on to the next step. 

Now that the batter is ready, dip the bread slices into the batter, soaking each side thoroughly, and place onto the hot skillet. Cook for a few minutes, or until the bottom of the bread slices starts to turn golden brown. When ready, flip and cook the other side similarly. Once the toast is ready, remove it from the skillet and plate it along with a coating of maple syrup and a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. Serve warm and dressed up with either some fruit or bacon and eggs on the side.

french toast with butter and syrup
Credit: Nathan Hutsenpiller Credit: Nathan Hutsenpiller

My Honest Opinion of Lauren Allen’s Easy French Toast

To me, this is the perfect French toast recipe for anyone who likes to experiment in the kitchen and personalize their favorite dishes to their own tastes. I love a short ingredients list and a simple step-by-step instruction because it not only helps me familiarize myself with the recipe, it also leaves room for my imagination to wander while I am cooking it up. 

With a recipe like this I will certainly be making adjustments and trying out new seasonings and ingredients every time I make it in the future, even though it is already perfect just as it is. I more than recommend trying this recipe out for yourself, and encourage you to share it with your friends and family.

3 Tips for Making Lauren Allen’s Easy French Toast

  1. Bread choice is everything. For this recipe I used Allen’s suggestion of Sara Lee Artesano and it did not disappoint. All you really need is a nice thick slice of bread, although it is not entirely a deal breaker if you just have regular white bread. However, Texas toast, cinnamon toast, or brioche are all valid options to choose from when making French toast. And if the bread can be a few days old or slightly stale, even better.

  2. Make ahead and freeze for later. If you want to make a large batch ahead of time for an upcoming big breakfast, just allow the French toast to cool completely before transferring into a freezer-safe bag or container. French toast can be stored in the freezer for up to three months and can be reheated on a skillet or in the toaster.

  3. Flour is the key to the fluff. Although you can totally make French toast excluding the addition of flour, you would be better off keeping it in the mix as an ingredient. Flour helps make the batter a little thicker, which then sticks better to the bread and helps yield an extra fluffy result in the end.

This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: I Tried the Most Popular French Toast Recipe on the Internet — And I’ll Never Make It Another Way