Best 7 The Captains French Toast Recipes

THE BEST FRENCH TOAST I'VE EVER MADE

Steps:

• Choose your bread. If you like very thick french toast (you should try it at least once!), find a local bakery and get yourself a loaf of challah or brioche bread (buy a day-old loaf if they have it.) I don't like using French bread or the regular loaves you find in the deli at the grocery store; the crusts turn out too chewy. You want a nice soft edge. If you can't get to a bakery, head to the grocery store and buy the thickest and softest white bread you can find. (3/4 inch or thicker.) Texas toast is great. I like to use the Artesano brand of bread; they sell a pre-sliced brioche loaf that is pretty legit. But their white bread is also nice and soft. See photos.
• Slice your bread with a serrated knife if you are working with a whole loaf. See photos. I like my slices to be about 1 and 1/4 inch thick, which feels a little ridiculous, but trust me. You can even go up to 2 inches if you're feeling wild. Don't slice thinner than 3/4 inch.
• Set your bread aside, spread out so that it gets a little dried out. Day old bread is great for French toast. In France, they call this dish "Lost Bread" because it's what you make when you have dried out bread to use up. (I experimented with toasting the bread first, but thought it dried out the finished product too much.)
• Make the egg mixture. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl,* whisk together 3 egg yolks, 1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream* or half & half, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg, if you like. Whisk until it is completely smooth and the cinnamon is well incorporated.
• Pour the mixture into a shallow dish like a pie plate, or an 8x8 inch pan. Place a slice of bread in the mixture and let it sit there for 10 to 20 seconds. How long you soak it depends on how thick your bread is. It should be soft when you touch it, but still hold itself together. Flip the bread and soak the other side. You can start cooking the French toast right away, or you can place the soaked bread on a baking sheet or plate while you finish soaking all of them.
• Cook the French toast: Heat an electric griddle or large 12 inch skillet over medium low heat. When it is hot, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or any oil with a high smoke point.) Swirl it around until the pan is coated. Place the French toast on the pan with 1 to 2 inches in between each slice of bread. Cook on medium low heat for 3-5 minutes. The timing depends on your oven or griddle, so stick around and keep an eye on it.
• Caramelize. When the bottom of the first side is LIGHT brown (we are going to cook this side twice), sprinkle about a half tablespoon granulated sugar on the top (raw) side of the bread. Flip the toast, sugar side down, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Be sure to swirl the pan so oil re-coats it, or add more butter/oil if necessary). Then, sprinkle another half tablespoon of sugar on the cooked side, and flip it over again so that it lightly caramelizes the first side.
• Keep your toast warm. Preheat your oven to the "keep warm" setting, about 170 degrees F. As you finish frying the toast, transfer each one to a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Keep toast warm in the oven until ready to serve.
• I honestly don't even put maple syrup on caramelized French toast. I feel like it doesn't really need it, plus it makes the caramel edge not as crunchy. I like to eat it plain, or with a little jam. But maple syrup is really delicious if you are in the mood! A sprinkle of powdered sugar and a berry garnish never hurt either.
• Keep leftovers stored covered in the fridge. It will keep for 3-5 days. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or the toaster. Or heat your oven to 350 and heat the toast all together on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, until the toast is warmed, about 5-10 minutes.

FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, and salt (as well as the optional vanilla extract and cinnamon, if using) in a medium shallow bowl until the mixture is fluffy and light in color.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working with one bread slice at a time, soak the bread in the egg mixture for 3 to 4 seconds per side. Don't let the slices sit too long; they will turn soggy and fall apart.
• Once butter is melted and bubbling, add 3 soaked bread slices to hot pan and cook until golden brown, or about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (There may be some spots that do not brown; that's normal.)
• Flip each slice, and cook until gold brown, or about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining butter and egg-soaked bread. Serve hot with toppings of choice.

THE CAPTAIN'S FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Whisk first 6 ingredients.
• Soak slices until saturated.
• Cook on skillet or griddle at medium heat until browned on both sides.
• Serve with butter, syrup & powdered sugar or fresh fruit.

THE BEST FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, whisk together the first 7 ingredients. Preheat a greased griddle over medium heat., Dip bread in egg mixture, letting it soak 5 seconds on each side. Cook on griddle until golden brown on both sides. Serve with toppings as desired.

CAPTAIN'S CRUNCH FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Pour in the cream, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg; whisk until smooth. Pour the crushed cereal into a shallow dish; set aside. Dip the egg bread into the egg mixture two pieces at a time until the egg has been soaked into the center of the slices, about 30 seconds per side. Press the soaked bread into the crushed cereal until coated on both sides. Set the finished slices aside on a piece of waxed paper.
• Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the French toast in the hot pan until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

CRUNCHY FRENCH TOAST STICKS

Steps:

• Crack the eggs into a pie plate. Add the half-and-half, vanilla, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Whisk lightly until combined; set aside.
• In a separate pie plate, stir together the panko breadcrumbs, crushed cereal and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Use a fork to stir in the melted butter so that the crumbs are slightly moist. Crack up at the madness that is in this dish, then set it aside.
• One by one, quickly dunk the bread strips in the egg mixture, turning to coat. Then lay them in the dish with the crumb mixture, turning them over, sprinkling and pressing so the crumbs totally cover the surface. Place the sticks on a rack set in a baking sheet. Flash-freeze for 30 minutes to set the surface.
• Transfer the sticks to zipper bags for storage in the freezer. I do smaller bags of 6 to 8 sticks each, but you can do larger batches if you prefer!
• To bake them from frozen state, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a pan with frozen sticks and bake until golden brown around the edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with warm pancake syrup for dipping and fruit to make you feel good about life!

CAP'N CRUNCH FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix together cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
• Crush cereal by placing in plastic storage bag and rolling over it with a rolling pin. Once it resembles cracker meal, transfer to a shallow dish.
• Moisten a couple pieces of bread in cream mixture until soft but not completely soaked. Allow excess liquid to drip off bread, then press into the cereal crumbs to coat evenly. Set on a sheet pan and repeat with remaining slices.
• Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Adding butter as needed, cook bread on both sides until it caramelizes, about 6 to 8 minutes total.
• TOPPING:.
• In large bowl using a hand mixer beat the cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
• Dollop on top of the French toast and serve with the berries.