Top 13 French Toast Recipes: Classic, Stuffed, Savoury and Sticks

The bread does more for French toast than anything else. You want something sturdy and slightly stale, because day-old bread has dried out just enough to soak up custard greedily while still holding its shape. Brioche and challah are the gold standard — rich, eggy and a little sweet, they turn meltingly soft inside — but a thick white sandwich loaf, sourdough or even a baguette cut on the bias all work. Thin, fresh, flimsy slices are the one thing to avoid, since they collapse the moment they hit the custard.

Thickness matters as much as the loaf. Cut slices around two to three centimetres thick so each one has a soft, custardy centre with a crisp exterior; too thin and they go leathery, too thick and the middle stays raw and wet. If your bread is fresh, dry the slices out first — leave them uncovered overnight, or toast them lightly in a low oven for ten minutes — so they behave like stale bread and absorb the custard evenly rather than skidding across the surface.

Match the bread to the dish. For a plush classic, reach for brioche or challah; for stuffed French toast, use a sturdy loaf you can sandwich without it tearing; for a baked casserole, cubed or torn day-old bread soaks up a deep custard beautifully; and for savoury masala toast, ordinary white sandwich bread is the traditional, perfect choice. Whatever you use, a firm crumb and a little staleness are what separate French toast that is silky and set from a soggy, falling-apart mess.

The custard is just egg and dairy, but the ratio decides everything. A reliable starting point is one egg to about a quarter cup (60ml) of milk per couple of slices, whisked until completely smooth with no streaks of white left — unbeaten egg cooks into rubbery ribbons on the surface. Add a little sugar, a good splash of vanilla, and a pinch of salt to season; cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom bring warmth. For a richer, more custardy result, swap some of the milk for cream and lean on extra yolks.

Soaking is a balance. The custard needs long enough to reach the centre of each slice, but not so long that the bread disintegrates. For standard slices, dip each side for around twenty to thirty seconds — you want it saturated through but still holding together when you lift it. Thicker brioche can take a minute or more per side. Let any excess drip off before the bread goes in the pan, since a slice dripping with raw custard steams and stays soggy in the middle rather than setting cleanly.

Cook it gently. Use a non-stick or well-buttered pan over medium heat — a mix of butter and a little oil gives you flavour without the butter burning. Too hot and the outside browns before the eggy centre sets; too cool and the toast turns greasy and pale. Cook two to three minutes a side until deep golden and just firm to the touch, then keep finished slices warm in a low oven (around 100C) on a rack so they stay crisp rather than sweating soft on a plate.

Stuffed French toast turns the dish into dessert for breakfast. Sandwich two slices around a filling — sweetened cream cheese, mashed banana, a smear of Nutella, or jam and berries — then soak and cook the whole parcel as one, a touch more gently so the centre warms through without the outside burning. Keep the filling on the firmer side and seal the edges by pressing them together, so it melts and oozes rather than leaking out into the pan as everything cooks.

Baked French toast is the make-ahead hero. Layer or cube day-old bread in a dish, pour over a generous custard, and let it soak overnight in the fridge so every piece drinks it in; in the morning it bakes into a soft, pudding-like casserole with crisp, golden edges, no standing at the stove required. A streusel topping or a scatter of berries and nuts lifts it further. Bake covered first so it steams tender, then uncover to brown the top, and let it rest a few minutes before serving so it sets enough to slice.

Savoury and eggless versions widen the dish well beyond sweet breakfast. Indian masala French toast whisks chopped onion, green chilli, coriander and spices into the egg for a savoury tava toast, while cheese and herbs push any version in a savoury direction. For eggless or vegan French toast, a batter of besan (gram flour), milk or a plant milk, and a pinch of turmeric or cornflour soaks and sets much like egg, giving you the same custardy interior and golden crust without any eggs at all.