Geoffrey Zakarian Explains Why Restaurant French Toast Tastes So Much Better Than Homemade (2024)

FAQs

Geoffrey Zakarian Explains Why Restaurant French Toast Tastes So Much Better Than Homemade? ›

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.

A key component in a French toast recipe is the custard, which is made of eggs and milk. Restaurants will likely use whole-fat milk in this custard, which gives the French toast a rich consistency. A restaurant may even opt to add a small amount of cream to the custard, but this can oversaturate fresh bread.

Milk and eggs are the only essentials required for the custard base—but it's how you season the mixture that will give your French toast a distinctive flavor. A pinch of cinnamon and some vanilla extract are standard upgrades—and a little sugar never hurts either.

Butter is a pretty key ingredient in French toast. It brings richness and fat, and besides, what's breakfast without butter? But olive oil is also pretty rich tasting, and though it doesn't have the creamy flavor that dairy brings, a good quality olive oil brings its own robust, floral flavor to the party.

A generous layer is what's giving the restaurant variety that savory, crunchy-but-moist quality. The way you toast your bread is also a game-changer. Instead of popping your bread in the toaster, try turning on the stove and browning the bread in a pan for restaurant-worthy quality.

It is the salty margarine that is slathered onto the hot bread and allowed to form a greasy wet spot in the center of each slice. That salty buttery spot is what makes restaurant toast so good.

As a general rule, you want one egg for every one to two slices of bread, and a generous splash of milk (about ¼ cup) per egg. You can use any kind of milk (skim, whole milk, etc.

Use thick slices of bread and soak it just long enough to absorb the egg mixture but not so long that it becomes saturated. Shortening or oil can be used instead of butter when cooking the French toast. The amount needed will depend on the size of pan; use just enough to coat the bottom.

It is also a great way to add moisture and depth to stale bread. Olive oil on toast is also a healthier alternative to butter or margarine as it helps to promote a healthy heart.

What happens if you soak French toast too long? ›

The first is using fresh bread, which soaks up too much of the egg mixture and doesn't cook through, remaining eggy and soggy in the middle. Leaving the bread in the egg mixture for too long is another route to soggy French toast.

Use brioche or challah. These egg-based breads have a high butter content, meaning their crumb is tender and rich but light. In other words, they're an ideal foundation for super decadent yet airy French toast.

This issue is a matter of taste rather than function. Some folks prefer a milkier, custard-like soaking liquid for the bread, which results in a creamier French toast. Some like an eggier soak, which leaves French toast firmer and somewhat richer. What that comes down to is the ratio of eggs to milk or cream.

Quite simply, Texas French toast is exactly what it sounds like, French toast that has been made using the extra thick slices endemic to Texas toast. Since the cut of bread is so thick, it allows for greater absorption of the egg and cream mixture and longer frying times.

On one hand, the average plate of pancakes contains around 500 calories, 88 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of saturated fat, while a similar-sized serving of French toast has around 990 calories, 120 grams of carbohydrates, and 18 grams of saturated fat. These numbers would appear to make pancakes the winner.