French toast experts needed

[AdamskiAirsoft]

I love french toast. I absolutely love it.

And for the past month or so, I've been trying so hard to replicate IHOP's French Toast. I've gotten the recipe/ingrediants that they use, and said that they use either Texas Toast or Egg Bread as the bread.

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7619/10026847jy.jpg
There is a picture of exactly what I wish to replicate. (It's to big for forums)

Now, from what I've seen and read, I believe that is texas toast. Texas toast have soft sides, soft center, and being thick to absorb the eggs, and other ingrediants used in french toast. If it is texas toast, what kind is it? I've heard most texas toast comes with garlic and buttered, do I want to find a buttered version, or just a no-garlic no-butter no-anything texas toast? And would I be able to find it at say Tom Thumb, Krogers, Albertsons?

Lastly, how exactly do you cook it? I've tried before, you mix the ingrediants together, then dip the bread in one side, flip it, and put it on the skillet, but it just doesn't seem right. From the picture, it looks like the ingrediants are INSIDE the bread.

 

[candelbc]

I find that if I leave my bread slice out over night (As per Alton Brown) that I get much better results. It doesn't seem to matter what kind of Bread I use however. I like French Bread the most or a Cinnamon Bread.. Either way, other than the bread getting stale, I do everything just like you do..

-Brad

 

[Swann]

I make french toast and use about 1 egg per slice of bread and a couple TBS of milk per egg. I put the bread in the egg and turn to absorb as much egg as possible.... It is soggy and hard to move except with a spatula. I fry it in butter on both sides to a nice brown and is well cooked inside.... put on the lid to make sure at the end. I use homemade bread which is denser than store breads. Be sure to add a bit of salt to the egg/milk. I like the toast with jam but my children like butter and powdered sugar. Some like butter and honey or maple syrup.
Homemade bread or any unsliced bread can be cut thick to make like "texas toast". I've made it this way for 60 yrs.

 

[ella/TO]

Egg loaf/bread (Challah) I find is the best bread for French toast. I whip up a couple of eggs, about 1/2-1 cup of milk. Slice the bread a little thicker than when it's bought already sliced. Soak bread in egg, milk mixture, until quite soggy. Fry in butter or margarine until brown on both sides. My husband likes maple syrup on his, I like jam or even a sprinkling of sugar. I always make extra and keep it in the fridge to eat either cold or warmed in the toaster oven.

 

[pdswife]

I dip my bread ( what ever kind I have on hand) in a mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla and then fry it in lots of butter. ( sometimes.. nutmeg instead of cinnamon)

Syrup and butter on top after it's done
or for a special treat peanut butter and homemade strawberry jam.

Think we'll have some for breakfast tomorrow! Yummy!

 

[VeraBlue]

it's a brioche bread

Brioche is very buttery to begin with. If you cannot get your hands on brioche and are not inclined to make it, challah will be a good substitute.

When I make french toast, I leave the bread out, overnight, unwrapped and spread apart, a bit. Let the air get to the slices, it keeps the milk/egg mixture from soaking the bread to a sponge.

Always use more egg than milk (use whole milk). After that, add what you like. I like cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, orange zest and brandy. Since the bread is getting stale, you can let it soak for a bit longer than really fresh bread. A minute should be fine.

Make sure your grill is hot and buttered...lift out the bread, let the excess egg drip off and place it on the grill. Flip it after a couple of minutes.

The egg has soaked into the bread, almost like a bread pudding. You have to cook it long enough to cook or set the egg, which is what you are referring to when you say it seems like the mixture is inside the bread.

Good luck.

 

[middie]

Pds you make yours almost the same way I do. I put cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla to my egg. No milk goes into my egg though because of my sons allergy. I like syrup on mine. But if I'm out of syrup I'll use brown sugar.

As far as bread goes I'll use white, challah or any other egg bread. Sometimes even potato bread. Yes seriously.

 

[buckytom]

i use a somewhat thick sliced, very light crust italian white loaf. maier's brand, to be exact.

then i use a whisk to whip an egg and a tsp+ of 2% milk (per slice of bread), until it just begins to incorporate air and retain bubbles.

the bread is soaked in the whipped milk and eggs for about 30 seconds a side, turning twice on each side while a non-stick skillet is prepared on medium high, and a pat of butter per slice is melted.

the soaked bread is carefully placed into the pan, and is cooked for about 1 minute on each side, turning twice, until it is nicely golden on the outside, warm, moist but cooked thru on the inside.

 

[unmuzzleme]

I'm fairly certain that Texas Toast is just thickly sliced white bread. I would NOT use the garlic Texas Toast that you get in the freezer section, as this would probably not taste very good...plus, it's already toasted.

Follow the suggestions of the previous posts and use a good thick-sliced egg bread, or challah, or brioche. A sturdy bread, in other words. If it's a bit stale, it will a) soak up more of your egg/milk mixture, and b) not fall to pieces after it's soaked.

I mix one egg with about 3 TBSP of milk, a heavy few dashes of cinnamon, and a dash of vanilla extract. That will get you two slices of french toast, depending on how thick your slices are. Soak BOTH sides of the bread, and let each side sit for a few secons to ensure it soaks all the way through.

Make sure your griddle is buttered and HOT (but not too hot)....I heat mine thoroughly to medium. You don't want to sear your toast and have it soggy in the middle (hehe, medium rare french toast!) .

Happy toasting!

 

[Barbara L]

When my aunt worked at a restaurant they taught her to always use frozen bread to make French toast. I started doing that, and it works great.

One Christmas season I discovered that I love French toast made with egg nog instead of milk. You have to be careful not to burn it because of the sugar in it.

Barbara

 

[lulu]

I agree with using Challah bread. My husband's family are Jewish and before that I had never eaten challah but its a wonderful bread. The first time I made french toast with it I was amazed! I prefer it to brioche for french toast because you get the same toothsomeness but a cleaner taste (although I adore bv\rioche too). I VERY rarely have french toast but it is a great breakfast when you have people staying. I also notice that one piece of challah french toast is very filling, where as the brioche toast is lighter....hmm, maybe the trick is brioche in summer and challah bread in winter.....anyway, for me its a great way to fill up my husbands family when they stay so I can justifyably leave them to fend for themselves through day while I am at work and feed them in evenings!

 

[philso]

challah bread is one of the best, but since no one has mentioned it, let me say that italian panettone makes one heck of an extravagant french toast. absolutely decadent.

and for the adults out there, try reducing or eliminating the milk, 86ing the vanilla, and go for the liqueur of your choice. curacao, hazelnut, kirsch...
yummy!

 

[Barbara L]

and for the adults out there, try reducing or eliminating the milk, 86ing the vanilla, and go for the liqueur of your choice. curacao, hazelnut, kirsch...
yummy!

At a bed & breakfast site I found a recipe for French toast that used Grand Marnier. It looked really good.

Barbara

 

[auntdot]

When we were in New England used to make it with Portuguese or Hawaiian bread (seems Portuguese nuns went to Hawaii and started to make bread, or at least that is the tale) and they are eggy and sweet breads.

Now we use when we rarely make it (don't usually eat breakfast).

But if we want some, and cannot find challah, just make something else.

To us egg bread is the only way to make French toast.

 

[Elf]

Try spooning several spoon fulls of the egg mixture on to the toast right after you place it in the pan. It will form a custard in the middle. When bottom is brown flip carefully the toast will be tender.

 

[FryBoy]

I find that most bread makes pretty good French toast. I would have to agree that brioche or challah or any egg bread would be best, but I even like it with whole wheat.

I beat the eggs well, add a bit of milk, a pinch of sugar, and sometimes a drop of vanilla extract, then soak the bread well before cooking it in butter. I also add some of the egg mixture to each slice after it's in the pan.

It's important, I think, to cook the French toast rather slowly -- too high of a fire will cook the outside before the center sets properly and may give it a sulphuric, burned egg quality.

Also, I serve it with real maple syrup -- that brown goo you find in the supermarket is so overly sweet and odd tasting that it makes me feel sick to my stomach, although I suspect that the IHOP syrup is just as bad. If you have a Trader Joe's market nearby, they have great prices on real grade A maple syrup from Quebec.

 

[Justabite]

When making my french toast I always add a teaspoon so or more of orange juice concentrate and cinnamon to the eggs and milk. Yummy!

 

[Dave Hutchins]

Having been raised in a Jewish community Chahalla was the bread of choice preferably
at least a day old or even two then it was cooked in butter till nice and brown
The batter was one egg per slice and whole milk with any of the above Cinnamon
Nutmeg a touch of ap flour( I dont know why but it was done) and served with sryup or jam. After posting this I am hungry

 

[Katie H]

A favorite French toast in our house is banana-nut bread slices dipped in a mixture of beaten egg, whole milk, a bit of granulated sugar and vanilla, then cooked in a pan lightly coated with vegetable oil. Then, I serve with butter and maple syrup. Yum.

 

[Barbara L]

Last week I wanted French toast but I didn't have any butter. I love butter on it. I decided that since I didn't have butter I would add a little extra flavor to it, so I added a little black walnut extract to the egg and milk then I cooked the French toast as usual. I was amazed! If I hadn't known better I would have thought each piece had a big pat of butter on it!

Barbara