Sourdough French Toast

Sourdough French toast is a twist on traditional French toast by using sourdough bread, and it tastes even more delicious than you would expect!

There are so many French toast recipes out there for you to try, from a classic with berries to a decadent caramelized apple version.

You can even make your own brioche bread in the oven or use store-bought. Indeed, sourdough bread is not typically what you think of when making French toast, but it actually goes amazingly well with the flavor. The texture and firmer crust are combined to create an experience unlike any other.

Jump to:

• Why you should try this recipe
• Ingredients
• Recipe variations
• How to make French toast with sourdough
• Expert tips
• Sourdough French toast toppings
• Storage instructions
• FAQ
• Look for breakfast ideas? Try these next!
• Recipe card
• Comments

Sourdough toast is a great way of experiencing the distinctive tang and crustiness that sourdough has. So if you are looking for something different, give it ago.

And don't forget to try out this brioche French toast casserole recipe for an absolutely delicious breakfast treat.

Why you should try this recipe

• Imagine your favorite breakfast sandwich gets an upgrade to sourdough French toast that will have you feeling like royalty.
• Hands down, it is a weekend breakfast staple. It actually comes together pretty quickly, so you can serve it any day of the week.
• This sourdough breakfast is also perfect for a special occasion. The ideal Mother's Day brunch or birthday breakfast will be complete with this amazing French toast. It is not only rich and filling but also full of flavors from sourdough.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Sourdough bread: For delicious French toast, use stale bread - leftover sourdough sandwich bread or a baguette - that is one or two days old. Feel free to go for homemade sourdough bread or storebought. You will need thick slices of bread - about ¾ inch / 2 cm thick.
• Eggs are essential to make this delicious toast. Use 3 large egg yolks or 2 whole eggs to make the recipe.
• Milk: The recipe calls for whole milk, but you can replace it with skim milk or dairy-free milk (oat milk or almond milk).
• Cream: Use whipping cream with 30% content or heavy cream with higher fat content.

Extra tip: Purists of French toast don't use cream but milk. Moreover, they use low-fat milk instead of whole milk.

• Sugar: The recipe calls for white granulated sugar, but you can replace it with golden brown sugar or vergeoise sugar.
• Vanilla bean brings an amazing flavor to French toast with sourdough bread.
• Salt: A pinch of salt or French fleur de sel balances the sweetness and enhances the already incredible flavors of your toast.
• Butter makes a difference when frying the sourdough toast. If desired, use coconut oil for cooking.
• Balsamic vinegar is used to make delicious balsamic caramel.
• Mascarpone cheese: As a staple of Italian cuisine, it is often used to stabilize whipped cream.
• Icing sugar: Make it yourself with a coffee grinder or use store-bought powdered sugar.
• Fresh mixed fruit is used for serving the toast. You can use any fresh fruit you desire.

Recipe variations

With the perfect balance of flavors, sourdough bread French toast will have your taste buds dancing. Try adding a flavor to the French toast variation to make it even better.

• Lemon zest adds an interesting twist on bitter notes, orange blossom water adds floral notes, cardamom seeds, and star anise brings punchy flavors.
• Add a few pinches of ground cinnamon and nutmeg to the milk mixture. But if you are feeling really daring, try adding Grand Marnier liqueur or dark rum.
• Almond extract is what makes your French toast really pop, especially if you top your French toast with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
• Replace milk and cream with half and half. Then add a scraped vanilla pod to infuse for 30 minutes for an extra aromatic touch.
• Finally, give your breakfast a tropical twist by using coconut milk and lime zest to make French toast. You will love how light yet filling this dish is.

How to make French toast with sourdough

The day before, take out the slices of sourdough bread in the open air to stale.

The following day, in a large deep dish with a flat bottom, beat eggs in an omelet with sugar, then add cream and milk.

Dip the sourdough slices in the milk and egg mixture and soak for 2 minutes.

Heat a pan with a non-stick coating. First, make sure the pan is hot: the bread slices need to start cooking as soon as you place them on the pan surface.

Once the skillet is hot, reduce to medium-low heat and melt a pat of butter in the pan.

Fry the first slice of bread in the heated skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.

Then flip it with a flexible turner and cook another side for 2-3 minutes. Repeat the operation with the remaining pieces.

Extra tip: Don't cook bread too quickly; use medium heat to cook it correctly. To ensure even cooking, cut the butter into small pieces, adding them as you cook to avoid the bread burning.

To make balsamic vinegar caramel, pour vinegar and sugar into a saucepan. Cook the caramel for about 15 minutes over low heat until frothy. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

To make the whipped cream, place the stand mixer bowl and the whisk attachment in the freezer for a few minutes. 

Place whipping cream, mascarpone, sugar, and scraped seeds of vanilla bean in the bowl. Whisk until you obtain whipped cream.

For serving, place a slice of sourdough on the plate, and add a generous spoonful of vanilla whipped cream. 

Extra tip: Make sure the toast isn't hot before garnishing it with whipped cream.

Drizzle with the balsamic caramel, garnish with fresh red fruits and serve immediately.

Expert tips

1. Use thick bread slices; the thin slices tend to fall apart when you soak them.
2. While French toast is cooked without crust, keep the crust if desired.
3. Soak each slice in the milk mixture for 1-2 minutes to get a delicious and tender result. Sourdough bread soaks up liquid slower than regular bread.
4. The best way to get golden brown toast with no sticking is by making sure your pan is fully preheated before cooking.
5. To keep your toasts warm till serving, place them on a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the oven at 195°F or 90°C.

Sourdough French toast toppings

Wherever you are, whatever the occasion - authentic French toast will always be served hot.

Serving the sourdough bread french toast, you can go traditional by drizzling maple syrup or topping everything off with whipped cream and fresh red fruit.

You will also love these sourdough french toast toppings:

• caramelized bananas with fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup,
• Nutella and banana,
• caramelized strawberries and toasted flaked almonds,
• chocolate shavings,
• caramelized peaches with speculoos crumbs,
• crème fraiche and red fruit,
• butter,
• fruit coulis,
• jam or jelly,
• maple syrup,
• peanut butter,
• lemon curd,
• orange marmalade,
• blueberry compote,
• pear sorbet,
• caramel ice cream, or
• other your favorite toppings.

To bring a twist to your presentation, dip the bread slices on each side in the sugar or shredded coconut once cooked. Then place each piece on a dessert plate with, for example, caramelized bananas on top.

Or cook 2 inch / 5 cm bread cubes instead of slices and dip them in the mixture of brown sugar and chopped hazelnuts. Then skewer on skewers, inserting a strawberry or raspberry between each cube of bread.

Storage instructions

The sourdough French toast is best served once made, but you can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Just place pieces of wax paper or parchment paper between the bread slices. Then, wrap the stack of toast with aluminum foil and bring them to the refrigerator.

To reheat, bring French toast slices to the toaster oven or in a skillet with a little sugar over low heat for a few minutes. Make sure not to overcook; otherwise, the toast will become chewy.

It isn't recommended to use the microwave. It would make your French toast soft and not very appealing.

Can you freeze French toast? It freezes very well and keeps the taste and flavor when frozen.

To freeze the cooked French toasts, let them cool down on a wire rack for at least 20-30 minutes. Then bring them, still on the cooking rack, to the freezer. Once frozen, transfer toasts to a freezer bag.

Or wrap each slice in waxed paper, then aluminum foil, place it in an airtight container, and freeze for two months.

FAQ

Look for breakfast ideas? Try these next!

Other than homemade French toast, what other breakfast options are there?

If you are more of a savory person, you might like Parisian crepes or muffins with ham and figs.

You will love these chocolate crepes if you are more of a sweet breakfast person.

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.