French Toast Recipe (serves 2)

  • 4 slices thick bread (brioche, sourdough or Texas toast — day-old bread works best)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) milk or cream (cream makes it richer)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Butter for cooking
  1. 1

    Whisk the custard

    In a shallow bowl (wide enough to fit a bread slice), whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and salt until fully combined and slightly frothy.

  2. 2

    Dip the bread

    Place a slice of bread in the custard. Let it soak for 20–30 seconds per side — the bread should absorb the custard without becoming completely soggy. Thick bread (2cm+) is ideal as it soaks up custard without falling apart.

  3. 3

    Cook in butter over medium heat

    Melt a generous knob of butter in a pan over medium heat until foaming. Place the soaked bread in the pan. Cook without moving for 2–3 minutes until deep golden on the underside. Flip and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. The bread should be golden and the custard set through.

  4. 4

    Serve immediately

    Serve hot with maple syrup, fresh berries, sliced banana, whipped cream, icing sugar, or jam. French toast is best eaten straight from the pan.

Use day-old breadFresh bread can become too soggy when dipped in the custard. Day-old bread that has dried slightly absorbs the custard better without falling apart. Brioche is the gold standard — rich, slightly sweet and produces an incredibly good result. If using sourdough, the slight tang pairs beautifully with maple syrup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — vanilla adds flavour but is not essential. Plain egg and milk custard still produces good French toast. You can substitute with a pinch of nutmeg instead of or alongside cinnamon, or add a teaspoon of orange zest for a different flavour profile. The core technique (egg + dairy custard + good bread) is what matters.
French toast is best fresh from the pan. It can be kept warm in an oven at 100°C for up to 20 minutes. For a crowd, cook all slices and keep warm on a rack in the oven — a rack rather than a plate prevents the bottom from steaming and going soggy. Leftover French toast reheats well in a toaster or in a dry pan over low heat.