Chef John's French Toast

Wow! I've been making french toast for years and thought I was doing it right..."if it ain't broke don't fix it". I never knew about a "classic restaurant method". I just did it the way my Mom and Grandma taught me and never would have thought to lightly fry and place it in the oven. Since I love french toast I had to give this a try and I was pleasantly surprised. This came out crisp, light, fluffy and just plain delicious. I topped it with a dusting of powdered sugar and REAL maple syrup. It was perfect served with fresh fruit and OJ! Thanks for a great recipe Chef John and an update on a truly classic breakfast favorite!

Made this for family breakfast and it was really good. I didn't have French bread on hand, but used a thicker sliced bread. The cinnamon and all spice give a nice flavor. I added a very small amount of powered sugar to the mixture. It was nice to put the slices in the oven as they were fried and also kept them nice and hot until all were complete so we could sit down and enjoy together. I will make these again, everyone loved then!

UH MA ZING! Thank you Chef John for another 5 star hit :-) After trying your perfect mashed potatoes recipe, I always look for your version for what I'm looking to cook up. All who've sat down at my dinner table think I'm a rather excellent cook and I have your influence to thank for it! Keep em comin!!

Still awesome! Only edit is to double the mixture if your using "country" type wider slices or thick cuts. I chopped up some apples and coated w allspice, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and a little honey. Baked at 350 for 20-30 and used as topping MMM! Also, out of of powdered sugar so put granulated sugar into the blender. Instant powdered (-: Huge fan of Chef John! He's my go-to for any recipe

Nothing fancy about this recipe. It is the all around basic Frech Toast Recipe, except the unnecessarily added allspice. The real secret to French Toast is using stale bread (aka "Day Old") to soak up the egg mixture.

French toast is OK, but I think what I don't like about it is the custard-y texture. This recipe is crisp and yummy! Great flavors. Cooking on the stove and then crisping in the oven is wonderful. Also helps to make sure that everyone is eating a hot meal together. Made it for "breakfast for dinner" tonight. Definitely will be something we make again---for breakfast/brunch/dinner. Yum!!!

Outstanding, like all of Chef John's recipes! Just one question, C. J.; where's the pinch of cayenne? ;-)

I didn't have thick bread, so I used regular instead. Had in oven only ten minutes at 375*. Very good flavor and crisp outer layer. So easy and nice to be able to make other breakfast food while it was in the oven. Thank you

Who knew I was making French Toast wrong all of these years????!!! I will never make French Toast another way! Delicious, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Absolutely delicious! Even my kids who are only 5, 6 and 7 commented that these were way better than the other way I make them. Says a lot when kids notice the difference. Thank you for a great recipe!

Who knew I was making Restaurant Style French Toast all these years...Although, I add just a touch of sugar to make it brown more evenly and I don't use the allspice in mine as no one cares for it...

this recipe is fantastic!!! loved having it in the oven but not needing to take all the time baked french toast normally takes. looked so pretty.... and tasted fantastic!!! i have yet to find s chef john recipe i didn't like thank you

This was the best French Toast I have ever had!

This was not to my liking.

This time I used the spices..I LOVE the addition of the AllSpice..what nice touch that adds! Best French Toast I've ever had and the family loved it, too. It was crisp on the outside and fluffy, creamy tender on the inside; perfect! I used only the vanilla for flavoring because I served it with cinnamon sugar apples sautéed in a little butter, which was flavor enough. I rarely ate French toast in the past because I didn't care for the flavor or texture; it was just like bread dipped in raw scrambled egg mixture and fried. Will definitely make this one again and recommend this recipe to family and friends. Thank you, Chef John, your recipes have never failed me!

I'll start off by apologizing to Chef John. I wanted to make this when I read the recipe and watched the video. Took a look in my bread box, didn't have any thick bread or the Wheat French Bread as mentioned, all I had was regular bread and some thick frozen waffles, blueberry at that - Moved forward anyway, following the rest of the recipe ingredients to the letter, from the stove top to the oven, sprinkled with Powered Sugar and drizzled with Maple Syrup - The good thing, they turned out great, the family loved them and they are hard to please - Will definitely make these again, but will go to the store first - James

Simply amazing! I am thoroughly impressed. It is so wonderfully crisp on the outside and melts in your mouth on the inside. Bravo!

Easy to do. Allspice and bake are the key. Added topping during bake. Banana and walnuts.

Easy and simple in taste! Added Splenda to it as well.

This really works! We like it a little more done so we will add an extra minute or two in the skillet and add a minute or two in the oven. Also, we sliced our bread thick on the diagonal and let it soak up the egg mixture for an hour. Yummy!

I used ordinary sandwich bread, great taste

Wow!! Perfect French toast! I left out allspice--too strong for our tastes.

Best French Toast EVER! I didn't have allspice so used freshly grated nutmeg. The aroma coming from the oven was amazing. Hated to eat the last bite, because it meant there was no more.

I didn't care for this recipe.

Very good! Baking it off gave it the crisp and crunch I like in french toast. No sogginess here! Plus the baking time gives me a chance to make whipped cream.

First time making French toast and I couldn't have picked a better recipe to use! Thank you for sharing your great recipe with us chef John!

This is a great, easy to follow recipe. The whole family liked this french toast.

My husband & I agree this is the best French toast we’ve ever tasted (& we’re really old, so we’ve got a lot to compare ??)! Made the recipe as written. The spices had the perfect amount of sweetness, & the time in the oven sealed the deal.

This makes a perfectly fine dipping mixture for French toast, but no better baked than cooking the usual way in a pan (I tried both). Also, the bread always absorbs more egg/milk liquid if it’s soaked a while (overnight works great), which, in turn, makes the French toast better.

Really need to start with thick bread, like the 1" + size referenced. I used regular sliced sourdough and it dried out a bit. Still love the taste and crunch.

Instead of using Allspice and Cinnamon I used Spekulaas, and used Penzey's Baking Spice in another. All 3 were great I just like using recipes as a guide to play in the kitchen.

Replaced milk w/heavy cream and served with homemade applesauce and pure maple syrup! Sooooo yummy! Loved how baking them afterwards resulted in a) a delightfully crunchy French toast, and b) everyone enjoying their breakfast at once! Thanks as always Chef John!!

This recipe was very easy to make, and I was happy with the texture of the end result. However, the allspice was a bit too much for my taste. I think I will keep the method, but tweak the spice ratio.

This is the way my Mom always made it except that she also added a little sugar and did not use allspice. We always made sure to have some left over that we used for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. My kids grew up with this also and as adults we still like the PB & J with any that's left over.

Chef John did it again! The best French Toast I have EVER had! My house smells amazing! I made it with the Amish White Bread that is on this site and it was incredible!

Very Very Good! I sliced some french bread and followed the recipe as is.

Very good!! When the recipe says “soak”, it’s more of a quick dip if you like the bread fluffy in the middle. You certainly need the baking part to rid some of the moisture. Cooked up the accompaniments while these babies were in the oven. Will make again!

I have fallen inlove with French toast again! Love the allspice & crispy texture!!!!

Wow! I'm not a chef and that's how I do it! I make a batter with eggs, milk, NUTMEG, CARDAMON, allspice, cinnamon, and vanilla. I just don't throw it in the oven. Maybe I will the next time I do French Toast. I use "gazillion grain and seed bread." Usually "Dave's Killer Bread" brand.

The best french toast according to my husband. I have a new favorite recipe saved!!!

Made this using the Essential Baking Company's Cinnamon Raisin Pecan Bread...absolutely delicious. And simple to make at that.

This was my first time making French toast and this came out delicious. I followed the recipe exactly, chef John does it again.

So awesome! I left out the allspice because I didn't have any on hand but other than that followed the recipe. The french toast turned out so good. I have issues with french toast that looks good on the outside but is soggy on the inside and this fixed it perfectly! Browned on the stovetop using a cast iron griddle and then just placed directly onto a baking sheet and into a 400 oven for 13 minutes! I was worried that the bread would continue to brown and possibly burn but by some sorcery it came out looking the same, except with an amazing texture. Thanks Chef John!!!

Now I know what French Toast should taste like! This was superb; a definite one to add to my collection and can't wait to serve it to others. I didn't have Allspice, so looking up this ingredient for a close match, I found that an equal amount of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg come pretty close to the actual spice. I did so and it truly added to the mixture. Made this for my wife and I and she raved about how great it was. Thank you Chef John for another great recipe.

Pure awesomeness!

EXCELLENT RECIPE!!! 3 minutes per side is way too long on medium heat. Medium-low worked better and about 2-2 1/2 minutes. Whole family raves about it!

Followed recipe

This was really good. I have been making French toast the old fashioned way as long as I can remember. The baking after frying gives it great texture. I used Texas toast, and passed on the allspice. Kids loved it, so this recipe gets 5 stars

I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of reducing the baking time to 10 minutes since my oven cooks fast. Thanks Chef John, this is yet another great recipe!

I'm so glad I found this recipe! I have tried to make French toast sooo many times but it never seemed right. I made this this morning just as described just added some nutmeg, splash of almond extract and tsp of sugar and it was excellent. I always wondered why it never seemed just right and was always soggy in the middle like it was not completely cooked! Thank you for sharing!

I would recommend trying it without the crusts; I found that it made it a lot easier to cut through and a lot lighter. Just be careful when transferring it from the egg mixture to the pan, without the crust it becomes a lot more fragile and prone to ripping

Wow, this was great! Light and fluffy on the inside, light and crispy on the outside! Delicious! My new go-to French toast recipe! I love Chef John!

Well, like most everyone else said, "who knew"?" It is just as easy &tasty as advertised. I loved how crunchy it was on the outside but still a delight inside. Cooked it in oven at 375 degrees for ten minutes because all I had was regular slices of French bread. Great recipe!

Followed the recipe as is... Deeeelicious !!

This was wonderful. First time putting French Toast in the oven and I will be doing it again for sure.

I added a lot more vanilla. Also, I set my gas stovetop to the 2 setting.

Turned out so good!

Chef John is starting to become my go to! I used regular white Italian slices, because it was all I had. I was concerned it might get dry in the oven, but it didn't . Amazing the difference baking it does!

Well, you did it again .... perfection! Best french toast I've ever eaten. From now on I'm checking for your recipes first. Thanks again, Chef John ... you're the best!

I made this today and it was absolutely divine! The best ever! We tried them with honey, with Maple syryp, and I topped one with banana. Heaven!! ?

This is a great recipe. Chef John always hits home runs!

Very good french toast! The trick is to use stale bread.

The "baking" part is genius and I'll continue to do that in future recipes. The mixture was simply not enough & I used THIN slices of day-old, fresh-baked cinnamon bread. Agreed: powder sugar unnecessary. Thanks for allowing me to learn a new technique: baking French toast!

Made it for family it was a winner, thank you for sharing the recipe.

I will definitely make French toast this way from now on. The flavor is great (The only change I made was to use only half the amount of allspice). And the second step of baking in the oven makes for a crispier toast, makes the kitchen smell fantastic and ensures everyone can have their breakfast hot and at the same time. I had to use Wonder bread, but this will be even better next time with French bread.

This was wonderful. First time putting French Toast in the oven and I will be doing it again for sure.

Yes Chef John is my go to guy for great recipes. This was no exception. Using the oven is genius because they all come out hot the same time. I used Italian bread. I doubled the batch. Timing on both pan and oven seemed spot on. They came out great.

I used thick slices of baguette instead of french bread. The result was good, but I think you need to make more mixture to soak all the bread. I served it for breakfast with blackberries and real maple syrup. My husband loved it!

Best French toast EVER! Didn’t have French bread so used braided brioche. Never baked salmon n an oven before. Used the Brava and it was perfect!

It turned out perfect but i made 3 times the recipe for our family . The spices and all was perfect its great. I did half cream and half milk , omg it was restaurant style ! Yummm

I used to make French toast without baking but I love this way so much more! I used wholewheat bread and didn't add much all spice and it turned out well. Maybe next time I would add a bit more cinnamon. Very delicious!

Great recipe! Not sugary and Ideal to add toppings

This is how I’ve always made my French toast - thank you for being an evangelist for this proper, custardy, breakfast staple. I use cardamom and cinnamon and it is incredible. I love all if your recipes - thank you for keeping it simple, yet luxurious.

This is a keeper!

I made this recipe just as Chef John wrote it. It was amazing! My husband commented how good it was more than once. A real keeper!!!

Great recipe. The cast iron pan keeps the food warm after the first serving.

This is good except by the time I pan cooked then into the oven, the toast was too dark. Have to remember to keep the time much lower.

Other than popping in the oven to keep warm, this is the same recipe I've been using since I was kid. Since I had some left over, I used evaporated milk instead of regular milk. This helps the batter be very thick. I also used way more butter in frying these. Instead of putting the cinnamon in with the egg mixture, I sprinkle the cinnamon generously on one side while cooking. I also added about 1 tablespoon of sugar to the mix.

This was really good. I have been making French toast the old fashioned way as long as I can remember. The baking after frying gives it great texture. I used Texas toast, and passed on the allspice. Kids loved it, so this recipe gets 5 stars

Made it about 5 times now perfect. I used the best Sourdough I could find a couple days old.

This is by far my family's favorite french toast recipe. it is good and I love that we all sit down and eat as a family instead of me cooking at the griddle while everyone else eats.

4 stars because I think it could still use some work to taste less eggy (could just be my preference though). Baking certainly works well but I'd use only yolks and add some sugar. It also doesn't hurt to add more cinnamon and vanilla extract if the taste isn't strong enough for you.

We loved this. I will never make french toast the old way again. I had a lot of medium peppers and thought why not. I added them to my egg mixture as well as the cinnamon and salt and it was great! Crispy on the outside and light inside. Wonderful recipe as expected as all are from Chef John.

This makes french toast for breakfast for a crowd much easier. The recipe is the same my family has used for years, but with the addition of nutmeg. Great idea, and delicious results.

Absolutely loved it. My kids said it's best thing I ever made them. This is now a staple at home.

Made it and it was great.

After making Chef John's recipe I won't go back to the "other" way of making French toast. I used to buy Texas Toast, not any more! It is better than most restaurant French Toast recipes.

This made an amazing breakfast - Breakfast for 4 and we all agreed - 5 Stars!! Wife and daughter added chopped almonds and they loved it. We all added a simple syrup (equal parts brown/white sugar and water - not as sweet as it sounds). Baking really firms up what could otherwise be a soggy bread. Nice & crispy - use a good bakery bread - not pre-sliced - and you'll be much happier with your own thick cuts of French Toast.

Delicious. I used jalapeno bread. My husband thought he had died and went to heaven,(over exasperated)??. Wonderful breakfast only w/sausage on side. Thanks

This is an delicious recipe. Putting it in the oven to crisp the outside is the key. I also added some caramelized bananas to put on top. Simply take brown sugar, butter or margarine, water, a dash of cinnamon, and vanilla. Then use the excess sauce to pour over the toast. For those watching their weight, I used low fat bread, liquid eggs and fat free milk. You can skip the bananas, but everyone deserves a little treat. Sprinkle a little powered sugar on for effect.

This French toast recipe is insanely good. I love French toast, if you didn’t like it, I assume you didn’t make it correctly. Brioche bread works perfectly with this. I made a carmelized Apple topping for this French toast it was amazing. Thanks chef John!

Try using maple extract AND a small amount of vanilla extract., no all spice, slightly more cinnamon, more eggs and brioche bread. SCRUMMY. BIG HIT w/my outlaws I MEAN in laws. Try it. You’re going to LOVE this recipe. Maple extract MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!!!

I had to make a few changes due to what I had. I used 1/2t coconut flavoring because I was out of vanilla and omitted the allspice. I also used Sara Lee thick cut white bread. The egg mixture was only enough for four slices. I will spray the baking sheet next time because the slices stuck. This was delicious and easy.

nice, make it all the time

I followed the instructions to the T. I did not like how they turned out. I found the taste was very bland. It tasted like plain fried bread. I was very disappointed. There was no flavor whatsoever.

As usual, Chef John takes something typical and kicks it up a notch. My husband made six loaves of baguettes yesterday (yes, quarantine is getting to him) so this morning I had the idea to use a loaf for French toast. Instead of doing it my usual way, I checked with Chef John first. I made exactly as written and it was delicious! Because of the baking, they were crispy and did not get mushy once I added the syrup, even down to the last bite. I highly recommend giving this recipe a try.

I made it with leftover French bread. It was easy to make.

Very good and crispy. Didn't have french bread but used homemade bread and instead of allspice I used sugar. Very good. A keeper.

Great recipe! I just like to add a couple spoons of brown sugar in it! My kids like it!

Best homemade french toast I've ever made. My toast usually comes out really soggy (which I don't really like). My toast turned out moist but not soggy after sticking it in the oven for 15 minutes.