Breakfast on the weekend is something that I’ve always looked forward too. From my mom making a big Sunday breakfast to my roommates and I making breakfast burritos and now myself whipping up something special for my own family. We usually do pancakes and waffles for the ease, but every now and then I get out the big guns. This Challah french toast is out of this world!
Challah is a braided egg bread with significant cultural meaning in the Jewish religion as it’s usually eaten on Shabbat, Jewish holidays, and weddings. Challah is only available at my local grocery store Fridays – Sundays, so that alone tells you it’s reserved for something special on the weekends. This bread is beautiful to look at and delicious to eat. It’s eggy density makes it the perfect bread for french toast.
As I was strolling through my grocery store on a Saturday afternoon (kid-free trip too!), I walked past the bakery, saw the Challah in the display case and instantly thought, “We need french toast tomorrow morning!”
Good french toast starts with your bread choice, but there is a secret to making it amazing. Slice your loaf of bread the night before and leave it to dry out overnight. This ensures that the bread will soak up enough custard, but not fall apart while cooking. Ever have mushy french toast? Or your slice of white bread just starts to disintegrates in the milk mixture? It’s because the bread has soaked up too much moisture. I like to leave mine on a cookie cooling rack to make sure both sides of the bread dry out.
When you awake in the morning and are ready for breakfast, simply make the egg custard (milk, egg, sugar, salt, and vanilla) and dip your bread in the mixture for about 30 seconds a side. Then transfer the bread back to the cooling rack and let sit for about 2 -3 minutes.
While your bread is “resting,” melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan. When the butter starts to bubble, gently place the pieces of bread into the pan and cook until golden brown on each side, about 3 – 4 minutes a side. This makes the house smell so amazing! My husband likes to top his with fruit and walnuts. I prefer a light drizzle of maple syrup.
Anyway you top it, this will become a family favorite of yours too! Enjoy!
Challah French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Challah bread (see notes below)
- 4 cups milk
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- The night before, cut the bread into 1/2 inch slices. You should get about 12 slices. Leave the slices out to dry out overnight, preferably on a cookie cooling rack.
- The next morning, combine the milk, eggs, salt, brown sugar, and vanilla in a 9 x 13" dish. Dip the bread in the egg mixture for about 30 seconds a side. Move back to the cooling rack and let rest for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Preheat a large pan over medium-low heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan. When the butter begins to bubble, gently place 2 – 3 pieces of the bread in the pan. Cook until golden brown, about 3 – 4 minutes a side. Repeat the steps with the rest of the loaf of bread, adding another tablespoon of butter to the pan each round. Enjoy!
