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Syrup being poured over a stack of Alton Brown's french toast with blueberries.
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Alton Brown's French Toast

Alton Brown's French Toast recipe is deliciously crisp and golden on the outside and soft and creamy inside. It's easy to make and makes the best breakfast or brunch for friends and family!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 184kcal
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • ¼ Tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 loaf bread (Brioche, Challah, or Country Loaf)
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Before you start:

  • Alton Brown advises to cut your loaf into 8 (1/2 incslices. I much prefer slices 1-inch in size.
  • Your slices are MUCH more likely to hold up well if you bake them on wire racks at 300 degrees F for 8 minutes on each side. If your bread is stale, this isn’t as necessary, but fresh bread has a better taste and can obtain the dry constancy that it needs by baking it.

Making the French Toast:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Heat the honey for 15 seconds in the microwave. Whisk it in a pie pan with the eggs, salt, and half and half.
  • Place a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan.
  • Dip each side of the bread into the custard, allowing it to absorb for about 10 seconds, (it will hold up well if it’s been baked as noted above.)
  • Place the bread on the cooling rack for 1-2 minutes.
  • Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in a large pan over low heat.
  • Place 2 slices of bread at a time in the pan and cook each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes/side.
  • Remove the bread from the pan and place on the middle rack in the oven for 5 minutes.
  • Repeat for all slices. Serve immediately with syrup, fruit, and/or whipped cream.

Notes

Make-Ahead Method
  • This custard can be prepared the night before and refrigerated.
  • Instead of baking the bread to remove some of the moisture, you can place the slices of bread on baking sheets in the oven overnight instead. (Without the heat on.) This tends to work well as ovens still give off some residual heat even when they're off.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 124mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1mg