The best, easiest breakfast to make that everyone loves. My brioche French toast recipe is seriously simple and incredibly delicious. You can make it for a crowd, or make it serve two.
Why I love this Simple French Toast Recipe
I have little Saturday morning routine, and it definitely involves this French toast for two. I'm a bit of a strict Mama when it comes to sugar and screen-time during the week week, so I like to let loose on Saturday mornings. We make French toast with sugary custard and sugary maple syrup on top, and then we eat it on the couch while watching cartoons. Camille thinks it's the greatest way to wake up, and she's not wrong.
Over the years, I've perfected my French toast for two game. For me, it started in college with leftover sandwich bread, it migrated into a whole wheat bread situation, and now, we've come full circle. Brioche bread makes the best French toast.
After years of experimenting, I am confident in this.
Homemade French Toast ingredients
- Eggs. We need large eggs for the custard part of this dish.
- Milk. My first choice for baking is whole milk, because the 3.5% fat content makes for a richer custard. You can use 2%, but please don’t use anything less. Skim milk does not make a great custard.
- Sugar. Granulated white sugar here; brown sugar may increase the chance of burning in the skillet from the extra molasses.
- Cinnamon.
- Vanilla. In my opinion, real pure vanilla extract is the key component to a good French toast.
- Butter. We will cook the bread in the butter slow, but you may need extra for serving.
- Brioche. If you cannot find sliced brioche bread, buy a loaf and slice it into ½-inch slices.
- For serving: maple syrup, extra butter, powdered sugar, or fruit. Toppings are entirely your choice.
Instructions
In a shallow dish, add the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract.
Whisk the custard mixture together very well.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When it's sizzling, dunk each slice of bread quickly in the egg mixture, and then place in the skillet. Cook the slices of bread on each side until golden brown.
Divide between two plates and serve with extra butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit.
What is the Best Bread for French Toast?
I won't deny that other breads are perfectly fine in this recipe. However, if your bakery sells a loaf of brioche grab it! It's one of the only breads, in my opinion, that keeps very well in the freezer. My favorite thing to find is a sliced loaf of brioche.
If you're looking for ways to use up leftover brioche bread, a tomato sandwich is the perfect vehicle. See also: lightly toasted with butter and bacon and lettuce, the BLT. Brioche bread is so wonderful because it's an enriched dough, which means it's made with eggs. The eggs in the dough give it a tender texture like cotton, and a rich flavor. It's what white bread wants to taste like.
Ways to serve this Homemade French Toast for Two
The only mandatory component (besides maple syrup, of course) is salted butter. Salted butter is a revelation on my pancakes for two, and this French toast for two, too! Beyond that, I like a fresh fruit, usually bananas or blueberries, but my daughter loves strawberries.
I made you a little how-to video for this recipe, because I wanted you to see both the amount of time I dunk the bread in the custard (spoiler alert: not very long), and exactly how the butter should look before you start cooking. French toast should hit a hot cast iron skillet and start to sear and puff up immediately. Bread sitting in butter that isn't hot enough will soak up the butter and become soggy.
How to store the Best French Toast
Freezing this Brioche French Toast Recipe
I hope that you love this recipe so much that you want to double or triple it to serve later in the week. You can definitely do that! After you cook the French toast in the skillet, move it to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes. Place the slices on a sheet pan lined with something non-stick, like parchment paper or a silicone mat, and then freeze. Once the individual slices of French toast are frozen (usually 6-8 hours), then you can stack them in a freeze bag for longer storage. This is called individually quick freezing something so that it can be stored together later.
I freeze slices of this to make a weekday breakfast special for Camille, and she loves having her 'Saturday breakfast' on a random Tuesday.
I hope this French toast for two recipe changes your weekend routine into one that becomes a family tradition, like it has for us.
Brioch French Toast FAQs
How do you make French toast not soggy on the inside?
The way to avoid total sogginess in French toast is to quickly dip the bread and immediately put it in the pan. Cook it over low heat so that the outside slowly browns while the inside cooks through. If you want it truly crisp, you should place the cooked slices in the oven and heat through.
Should French toast be cooked on high or low heat?
Because we’re cooking a custard mixture, it is always best to cook it over low heat. This prevents eggs from curdling in the custard, and also helps ensure the outside is golden brown while the inside is fully cooked. If you cook it on high, the outside might burn before the inside cooks.
Why do you put milk in French toast?
Milk is a key component of the custard for French toast. If you’re not dipping it in eggs + milk, you’re just dipping it in eggs. The milk provides a smooth base to be soaked up by the bread.
More Favorites from Dessert for Two
Homemade French Toast with Brioche
Small batch French Toast for Two.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1/ ½ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for serving
- 8 slices brioche bread
- ½ cup maple syrup, for serving
- fresh fruit, for serving
Instructions
- In a shallow pie dish (or 9x13 inch pan), whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and
vanilla extract. Whisk very well. - Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- When it's sizzling, dunk each slice of bread quickly in the egg mixture, and then place in the skillet.
- Cook the slices of bread on each side until golden brown. Divide between plates and serve with extra butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit.
Notes
To serve two: reduce the recipe to 2 large eggs, ¾ cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon butter, plus extra for serving, and 4 slices brioche bread.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 852Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 401mgSodium: 713mgCarbohydrates: 110gFiber: 3gSugar: 54gProtein: 20g
Deborah says
I was happy to get this recipe in my inbox last month and find that it is the way I have been making French toast for years. The only thing I do differently is use French bread, but everything else is the same. I think it's the vanilla and cinnamon in the recipe that turn an ordinary recipe into something special. So good!
Deborah says
I was happy to see this recipe in my inbox last month, as it is the way I have been making French toast for years, so I know it's a good one. The only thing I do differently is use French bread instead of brioche, but everything else is the same. I think it's the cinnamon and vanilla that take an ordinary recipe and turn it into something special. So good!
Deborah says
This is the best French toast recipe ever! I use French bread instead of brioche, but follow the rest of the recipe exactly. The cinnamon and vanilla take this over the top and you'll never make "plain" French toast again. So good!!!
sandra prater says
what a wonderful breakfast! best french toast ever! thank you! i had always used french bread but what a difference the brioche makes. and your custard mix too- delicious! truly enjoyable! thank you chef!
Deborah says
This is the way I have made French Toast for years, so I know this recipe is a winner. The only thing I do differently is use French bread instead of brioche. Any bread will work, really - brioche, French bread, challah, Pepperidge Farm, etc. It's the cinnamon and vanilla that take ordinary French toast over the top and make it taste this good - yum!
Deborah says
I don't know what's going on here, but my comment doesn't post, doesn't post, doesn't post and, when I rewrite it, ALL of them show up - arrgghhhh! Christina, please pick one and post it to this delicious recipe. Thank you for your help!