Copycat - Denny's French Toast Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is French toast batter made of? ›

Eggs and milk are the essential components of the custard base that gives French toast its tender richness—but get their ratio off and you'll wind up with undercooked slices that have an unpleasantly savory "scrambled eggs" flavor.

Lots of home cooks quickly dip each side of the bread in the custard before throwing it in the pan. The bread has to soak in the egg mixture; you want it to penetrate the bread for a soft, custardy center.

1. Not choosing the right bread. The heart and soul of French toast really is the bread — use something sub-par and the final result is going to be sub-par. The best bread is spongy and sturdy so that it will be able to soak up the custard without completely falling apart.

The secret ingredient in this fluffy French toast recipe: all-purpose flour! Flour binds the liquids together, which creates a more traditional “batter” and helps prevent soggy results. This extra ingredient ensures the French toast is crispy on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside.

If the balance is off and you include too many eggs or not enough milk, the finished French toast will have a scrambled egg-like flavor. When scaling this recipe up or down, keep in mind that you need 1/4 cup of milk for every egg.

Use stale bread or toast the bread until it's golden-brown. It needs to be sturdy to hold up to the egg mixture. If the bread is fresh from the bag or you toast it too lightly, the finished dish will be soggy. Soak the toasted or untoasted bread for about 10 seconds per side to achieve the optimal texture.

According to the chef, the difference comes down to two main elements: the use of high-quality yeasty bread and allowing it time to properly soak. While you can use regular old white bread at home, you may want to give yours an upgrade — try subbing in thick-cut slices of brioche instead.

Ideally, the bread should be slightly stale. A drier bread will soak up all the custard. Bread can be left out with the wrapper open the day before cooking. If you find yourself in a pinch, dry your bread slices in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes before soaking them in the custard.

Vanilla and cinnamon.

Strictly technically speaking, these are optional, but French toast without vanilla and cinnamon just isn't nearly as good! A splash of almond extract or a pinch of nutmeg would also work here, if you have a more adventurous palate.

How do you keep toast from getting soggy? ›

Fortunately, there's an easy way to prevent that sogginess and keep your bread just as crisp as it is when it comes out of the toaster. All you'll need to do is take two freshly toasted slices of bread, stand them up on an angle, and balance them against each other so that the two slices resemble the sides of a tent.

Keep it crispy

He recommends setting the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. On the second rack, Brown lines up his slices of bread dipped in the egg and milk mixture. He lets them sit for a minute before frying them, either in a pan or on an electric griddle.

There are a couple of common mistakes that can really mess up your french toast. You don't want to turn your griddle heat up too high- the outsides will burn and the inside will be soggy. You don't want to use too much milk. Your batter should be more egg-y than milk-y if you want non-soggy toast.

A heat of 350º will cause your toast to be more browned, while a heat of 400º will result in a crunchy texture. Remember that the higher the temperature is, the less time it needs on each side. Try leaving your toast in for four to five minutes on each side.