French toast is a classic breakfast dish but it can be tricky to get just right.
Few breakfast dishes can rival French toast on a Sunday morning. Thick slices of bread, soaked in a blend of beaten eggs, milk and cinnamon, pan-toasted and served with butter and maple syrup — it’s hard to imagine a more indulgent way to start the weekend.
Many people shy away from making French toast at home due to the dreaded sogginess problem. Even attempting to keep it warm in the oven can leave it flat, wet and rather sorry-looking.
However, trained chef and baker Kristen Hoffman, who runs the recipe blog Baker Bettie, has discovered a fool-proof method for producing “perfectly crispy on the outside [French toast] with a fluffy custard-y inside”.
She said: “Not only does this technique give you the most perfect texture for French toast, but it also ensures that your entire batch is finished all at once, so you can sit down with your family or guests and eat together. This perfect and easy French toast technique is also incredibly fast.”
The baker revealed that the “key to perfect French toast” lies in baking it in the oven on a pre-heated, piping hot tray.
She said, “You want to get a sheet pan roaring hot in your heating oven while you prep your other ingredients. This will cause the bottom side of the bread to sear immediately when you put it on the pan.”
The tray should be left to heat in the oven for a minimum of 20 minutes, though it can remain there longer until you’re ready to complete and serve the French toast, reports the Express.
Ingredients (makes eight)
- Two eggs
- Half a cup of milk
- Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Eight pieces of brioche bread
How to make French toast in the oven
Position your oven rack in the middle slot and place a baking tray on top. Preheat your oven to 230°C/210°C Fan/Gas Mark 8.
Allow the baking tray to heat inside the oven for a minimum of 20 minutes, or until you are ready to begin cooking your French toast.
In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. A pinch of cinnamon can also be added if preferred.
You will need to move swiftly once you remove the tray from the oven, so have your non-stick spray at the ready, along with your milk and egg mixture and slices of bread all prepared in advance.
Once the oven has fully preheated and you are nearly ready to serve, use an oven mitt to carefully remove the hot baking tray from the oven. Coat the tray generously with non-stick spray.
Dip each slice of bread into the milk and egg mixture, ensuring both sides are thoroughly coated, then lay the pieces out on the baking tray. The slices should sizzle immediately upon contact with the hot tray.
Return the tray to the oven to complete the cooking process. The pieces will require anywhere between five and eight minutes to cook through, so remain close by and keep a watchful eye to ensure the French toast does not catch.
Once cooked, the French toast will be “perfectly crispy on the outside and light and fluffy in the middle”.
You can now serve your piping hot French toast to everyone simultaneously. Popular toppings include berries, maple syrup, butter and icing sugar.


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