Sourdough French Toast

This sourdough French toast recipe makes a breakfast everyone will love! The tang and structure of the bread is irresistible.

The best French toast, in our opinion? Sourdough French toast. As two cookbook authors and professional recipe developers, this is some of the best French toast we’ve made. Why? The tangy flavor hints and the chewy, textured structure of the bread take perfectly to the sweetened custard, making a breakfast plate that’s a head above the rest. It’s ideal for a special breakfast or brunch, topped with fresh fruit, sauces, or just a dusting of powdered sugar.

Why sourdough bread?

Sourdough bread has a naturally firm texture and a slight tang to the flavor, which it perfect for using in French toast. It’s a great way to use up a leftover sourdough loaf that’s about to go stale, but you can also use it on a fresh loaf.

We’ve been making this sourdough bread recipe for years, even before its heyday during the pandemic. These days we don’t always keep our starter alive, so we’ve started buying bread more regularly. Whether you make it fresh or purchase it, sourdough is a key candidate for using in French toast, as well as other ways to use up bread like bread pudding, soup, and croutons.

Ingredients in this sourdough French toast recipe

Classic French toast is sliced bread soaked in a mixture of egg, milk and sugar, then fried until golden crisp on a griddle. This genius way to reinvent stale bread has been around for hundreds of years, a combination of basic ingredients that make a hearty meal. Here’s what you need for this sourdough French toast recipe:

• Eggs: Eggs are the backbone of a classic French toast. You can also substitute non-dairy milk and flour for a vegan French toast.
• Milk: Whole milk gives the richest flavor, or use 2% or non-dairy milk. You can also substitute half and half or heavy cream for a decadent French toast.
• Sugar: A hint of sugar helps to elevate the flavors.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt: These flavorings make a bold, nuanced flavor.
• Sourdough bread: Day old bread or older makes the best French toast, but you can use a fresh loaf too. If it’s extremely fresh, you may want to toast it before using.
• Butter: Use any type of neutral fat or oil for cooking your French toast, like butter, ghee, coconut oil, or neutral oil.

Tips for how to make it

French toast is arguably one of the simplest breakfasts you can make: it’s even easier than pancakes or waffles. All you’ve got to do is mix up the custard, dip the bread, and fry it up. Here are a few notes on the process:

• Day old bread is ideal (sliced into 3/4-inch slices). Drier bread soaks up the custard but still holds its shape. A fresh loaf of sourdough has the potential to become soggy. If you want to use it as French toast right away, toast the slices before making.
• Soak each side of the bread in the egg mixture for 10 to 15 seconds. Try not to oversoak the bread or it will become mushy.
• Fry the bread about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until browned. Timing will vary based on your bread and the heat of the skillet.
• A large griddle is helpful. Most skillets or griddles can fit 4 pieces at once, but we have a very large griddle that fits 8.

Toppings for sourdough French toast

All you need for topping sourdough French toast is a little maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar. But for special occasions, it’s fun to dress it up! Here are a few more topping ideas:

• Powdered sugar and maple syrup
• Fruit sauces like blueberry sauce, raspberry sauce, peach puree, cranberry sauce, or strawberry sauce
• Compotes like strawberry compote, blueberry compote, raspberry compote, or peach compote
• Fresh berries like raspberries, blueberries or strawberries
• Sliced bananas
• Fresh apples or pears
• Chopped pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds
• Crème fraiche
• Whipped cream

Dietary notes

This sourdough French toast recipe is vegetarian. It’s easy to make vegan: simply follow this Vegan French Toast recipe using sourdough bread, which uses a combination of non-dairy milk, coconut oil and flour to make a substitute for the eggs and milk.

For gluten-free, try a homemade gluten-free sourdough bread recipe or purchased gluten-free bread.

Leftovers and storage

Sourdough French toast stores well. It’s best on the day it was made, but it stores refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop before enjoying.

More French toast recipes

There are so many fun ways to enjoy French toast! Here are a few spins to try:

This sourdough French toast recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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