Bread, gilded. How does that happen?
Conferring such treatment on a humble slice or two is not quite the puzzle of the century, but what has eluded me for some time is a way to avoid getting that dreaded eggy skin on pan-fried French toast — the kind that’s a little tough or rubbery, looks sad and doesn’t taste so great. Unpleasant, in a word, and in my culinary world, a challenge.
Solved: I whisk the eggs (whole eggs plus a single egg yolk) with the cinnamon sugar, as if preparing the first step of a sponge-style cake batter, and, yes, it banishes the offending film. Please follow my lead, for it’s an easy step and returns a lovely result.
Once the soaking mixture is in place and settles into the bread, one side of each slice is coated with crushed brown rice cereal and a glimmer of cinnamon sugar. Out of the skillet, then, comes French toast memorable for its custardy richness and playful crunch.
Deluxe cinnamon French toast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup half-and-half (may substitute whole milk)
Pinch salt, preferably fine sea salt
6 to 8 1-inch thick slices good-quality white bread, such as Texas toast
For assembly
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, or as needed
1 cup crisped brown rice cereal, lightly crushed
The custardy texture of this French toast plays perfectly with its crunchy top.
Using 1-inch-thick slices of bread allows for good saturation of the whisked-egg mixture; the thickness helps the slices hold their shape throughout the process. As you might have guessed, pours of maple syrup are unnecessary here, but a side helping of sauteed apples and/or pears would be nice. Lisa Yockelson’s favorite plate mate for this is something salty-smoky, such as griddled thick-cut bacon.
Make ahead: The bread slices need to soak in the whisked-egg mixture for 10 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator, uncovered.
For the French toast, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Whisk the whole eggs and egg yolk in a medium mixing bowl. Add the cinnamon-sugar mixture and whisk for 30 to 45 seconds or until combined and lightly frothy. Whisk in the vanilla extract, half-and-half and salt.
Pour the whisked-egg mixture into a shallow rimmed baking pan or a shallow bowl. Dip/soak the slices of bread in the mixture to saturate and coat both sides. Carefully and quickly transfer the soaked slices of bread to a rimmed baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
When ready to assemble, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt half the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until the butter is foamy.
Remove the soaked bread slices from the refrigerator. Spoon the crushed cereal evenly onto one side of each of the slices of soaked bread, then pat it down lightly. Use a wide spatula to transfer two or three slices to the skillet, cereal side up. Sprinkle a little of the cinnamon-sugar blend over the surface of the cereal. Cook the bread for 2 minutes, then flip over each slice and cook for 3 minutes or until the cereal surface is lightly caramelized, adjusting the heat to medium-low as necessary to keep the bread from browning too fast. For best texture and flavor, avoid undercooking the slices, and refrain from pressing down on the slices in the skillet. If necessary, wipe out the skillet with a paper towel in between batches if there are darkened bits of cereal or butter. Repeat with the remaining soaked slices, using the rest of the butter as needed. Serve crispy side up.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
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