If you want to please the crowd come brunchtime, all you need to do is serve up a batch of this Sourdough French Toast with its crispy, golden exterior and pillowy soft, custard-like interior.
The natural tang of sourdough bread makes it the perfect candidate for a sweet brunch recipe like French toast, adding so much delicious flavor and balance. Top it with powdered sugar, maple syrup, a handful of fresh berries, or all of the above.
After 15 years in the professional recipe development field, I can attest that taking a seemingly simple French toast recipe from good to great comes down to the details. Heat level, cook time, the thickness of the bread, the custard components -- these are all details that really matter.
Fret not. In a matter of minutes, you'll be well on your way to making restaurant-worthy French toast, crisp on the outside and beautiful custard perfection on the inside. This is a dish you'll be proud to serve to friends and family for years to come. And the best part? It'll be ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
Sourdough | Most French toast recipes call for challah or brioche, but the sturdiness of sourdough makes it the perfect candidate for this classic brunch dish. It can hold its own when it comes to standing up to a custard and is actually less likely to have a soggy interior.
Flour | Not all recipes call for flour in the custard and, therefore, are lacking. Flour adds lightness to the batter and extra crispiness to the exterior, helping to achieve that restaurant-style golden exterior.
Pro Tips | This recipe is packed with pro tips about soaking dish size, seamless rhythms for efficiently cooking (making this recipe extra quick and easy), down to simple things like using a wire rack to keep your French toast from getting soggy on the bottom.
Ingredients
Below, you'll find an overview of the importance of ingredients as well as substitutions you might find helpful (or even necessary, if you're making French toast on a whim!). Exact ingredient measurements are located in the recipe card below.
Jump to RecipeSourdough Bread | Thick-cut sourdough bread is the perfect choice for French toast. For best results, use day-old sourdough bread. I actually like to let mine sit on the counter for a few days before using. Fresh bread will likely have a gummy texture, whereas slightly stale bread better absorbs the custard and gives you that signature custardy interior you're hoping for.
Flour | Similar to savory recipes that get a flour coating before frying, brunchy dishes that require a certain level of crispiness can benefit from flour similarly. We use all-purpose flour in the custard for a beautiful, golden, and crispy exterior
Sugar | Granulated sugar was used in recipe development for sourdough French toast, but brown sugar will work as well.
Spices | Cinnamon and salt are the dynamic duo in this recipe. Cinnamon is optional, but it is a wonderful spice for enhancing the flavor of your sourdough French toast, adding warmth and richness to the dish. A pinch of salt enhances the dish's flavor and provides balance since French toast is often topped with extra sweet toppings like maple syrup, whipped cream, and powdered sugar.
Half-and-Half | Consider the half-and-half as a little bit of insurance -- the higher level of fat will keep your toast from burning too quickly if you accidentally have the heat on too high of a setting. If you don't have half-and-half, whole milk is a fine substitute.
Eggs | Eggs serve a multifunctional purpose when it comes to French toast. Not only do they serve as a binder in the custard, but they also add a beautiful golden color to the dish, help the French toast brown a bit slower and more evenly, and add richness and body to every bite.
Vanilla Extract | This extract is a simple but wonderful way to add complexity of flavor to the custard.
Butter | You need unsalted butter for this recipe. Melt 2 tablespoons in the pan for each round of French toast, but watch the heat! Butter burns quickly. Add French toast to the pan as soon as it has melted.
See below the recipe card for:
- step-by-step photos,
- helpful recipe tips,
- and serving suggestions!
Sourdough French Toast
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 sourdough loaf, cut into 1"-thick slices (it is best if the bread is 1-3 days old and slightly stale)
- 6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- Toppings Suggestions: whipped cream, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and/or fresh berries
Instructions
- Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a small mixing bowl and whisk. Slowly pour in the half-and-half, whisking all the while. Then, add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
- Pour the custard mixture into a small casserole dish or pie dish and add two slices of bread. Soak for about 3 minutes, then turn and soak for another 2-3 minutes.
- Note: Once you remove one set of sliced bread from the custard dish, add the next couple of slices to soak. Once you flip the bread in the pan, also take care to flip the bread in the custard as well. This will keep the recipe moving along quickly. Depending on the size of your loaf, you should have 6-8 thick-cut slices of bread.
- Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. As soon as the butter has melted, transfer the soaked bread to the pan, and cook for about 3 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary to keep the toast from overbrowning in the allotted cook time. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack. Carefully wipe out the pan between batches if necessary and repeat with the remaining butter and sourdough slices.
- Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
How to Make Sourdough French Toast
Before you begin your French toast, it's important to note several of the pro tips to help you execute this dish with ease.
Casserole Dish Size
The size of the dish you use to soak your toast is key to the recipe. Make sure it's large enough to house two pieces of bread since you'll likely be able to fit two pieces of toast in your skillet at a time (avoid overcrowding the pan).
However, you want the dish small enough so that when you lay the bread slices down, the custard comes about halfway up the depth of the bread. This allows the bread slices to evenly submerge and soak up the custard.
Rhythm of the Recipe
Once the custard is made and the dipping begins, the recipe moves along fairly quickly, and there is a rhythm to making sourdough French toast efficiently. It begins after the first two slices of bread have had time to soak on both sides, the butter is melted, and the pan is heated and ready to go.
The amount of time that it takes French toast to cook on the stovetop conveniently synchronizes with the amount of time the bread needs to soak in the custard. As one batch goes in the frying pan, another goes in the custard. When it's time for the frying pan flip, it's also time for the custard flip!
Heat Level
Be sure to check your heat level after a minute or two; you don't want your sourdough French toast browning too quickly or the interior will be soggy. Just like making the perfect grilled cheese, you need the heat high enough for the exterior to brown but low enough so there is time for the interior to cook.
Use a spatula to check the underside of your French toast after about a minute or two and reduce the heat as necessary. You'll likely end up somewhere around medium-low after the first flip.
With those key tips in mind, your French toast flow will be more seamless and well-executed!
Combine Dry Ingredients | Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a small mixing bowl and whisk.
Add Wet Ingredients | Slowly pour in the half-and-half, whisking all the while. Then, add your eggs and vanilla. Whisk until your custard mixture is well combined.
Soak the Bread | Pour the custard mixture into a small casserole or pie dish (see note above for the appropriate dish size) and add two slices of bread. Soak for about three minutes, then turn and soak for another two to three minutes.
Cook | Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter is melted, transfer the soaked bread to the pan and cook for about three minutes. Lower the heat if necessary to keep the toast from over-browning too fast. Flip and cook for another two to three minutes or until golden brown.
Keep Your Toast Warm | If you'd like to keep your French toast warm during the cooking process, preheat your oven to 200°F. Place the wire rack on a larger sheet pan and transfer to the oven until all of your batches have finished cooking on the stovetop.
Transfer to Wire Rack | Remove the sourdough French toast from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack. A wire rack is a game changer for dishes like this, allowing air to circulate, which keeps heat from building up on the bottom, avoiding soggy French toast.
Carefully wipe out the pan between batches if necessary and repeat with the remaining butter and sourdough slices.
Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
What to Serve with French Toast
Beverages | No Southern brunch is complete without the perfect sips to go with that golden, buttery sourdough French toast! Go with a steaming cup of coffee or a cozy, tea for a classic touch. Or if you're feeling fancy, grab a mimosa or take it up a notch with a Bloody Mary bar loaded with all the fixings. And if you're feeling indulgent, a our salted caramel Irish coffee will have you swooning with its sweet, boozy warmth.
Toppings | There are so many delicious ways to go with toppings for sourdough French toast, and absolutely none of them are wrong. Serve with a pat of butter and warm maple syrup or sprinkle with a sweet, delicate layer of powdered sugar. Whipped cream and an assortment of fresh berries or sliced bananas keep it feeling light, but for that decadent touch, chocolate syrup and strawberries are excellent choices.
Side Dishes | Sourdough French toast is already a star, but the right side dishes make it a true brunch feast! Crispy bacon or homemade breakfast sausage add the perfect salty bite, while fluffy scrambled eggs or a perfectly fried egg bring that buttery goodness and extra brunch feeling. Want to go big? A thick-cut ham steak, seared to perfection, takes your brunch spread to the next level.
5 More Brunch Recipes You'll Love
- Got leftover sourdough? Level out the sweetness of French toast with avocado toast for those who like it savory with this creamy avocado spread.
- Another way to add a little savory in a big way to the mix: Texas Kolaches. They keep it carby and satisfying and add a little protein to scene, too.
- Who doesn't love a bakery-style brunch? Chocolate chip muffins are a great way to keep guests from going hangry on the spot.
- Balance brunch with a veggie quiche--cheese, veggies, and protein all rolled into one.
- Who doesn't love a fruit-forward brunch? Strawberry scones are a perfect side companion or appetizer to a dish like sourdough French toast, topped with fresh berries--you can't go wrong with crumbly, buttery, and fruity.
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