
I can’t say enough about how divine this challah French toast is. I don’t even really like French toast, but this recipe is officially on our Christmas breakfast menu because it is that good.
Day 11: Challah French Toast
Difficulty: Piece of Cake!
Undoubtedly, it’s due to the main part of the dish–the challah bread itself. When I made the challah a few days ago, I made two loaves (if you read the recipe, you’ll see that you have the option of making one gigantic loaf or two smaller loaves.) For one loaf, I didn’t add poppy seeds, which is the one that I used for this dish. I can’t say that I had “leftover challah” because challah is so eat-able, I’m not sure leftovers actually exist. I did, however, intentionally reserve half of the loaf with the purpose of using it to make French toast. (Sidenote: French toast is best when made from “day-old” bread, because it can soak up the egg/cream mixture more efficiently.) Of course, if you don’t want to make your own challah, you can just buy some from the store.


This recipe is super easy and can be made in a flash. I made it, ate it, and photographed it all before I left for work this morning. (And I didn’t even crawl out of bed until 7:30–one hour before I need to leave the house.) Also, this is not a “strict recipe,” so feel free to improvise! I’m convinced it’s nearly impossible to mess up French toast. I cut the slices pretty thick because I thought they were more photogenic, but if you use thick slices, just make sure your skillet is at a low heat. If the heat in your skillet is too high, the bread will be too brown before it is cooked entirely through on the inside. Another way I test the “doneness” is to lightly press a spatula on the toast after I have already cooked it on both sides. If no liquid oozes from anywhere, it’s ready to eat! The recipe below is adapted from Ina Garten.
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half (You may substitute this with milk, and it will be less rich. I used almond milk)
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 loaf of challah, sliced into 3/4″ thick slices.
- In a bowl, using a whisk or fork, mix together all of the ingredients, except the challah. Add as many challah slices as will fit. Let soak for three minutes, then flip and allow to soak for another three minutes (If they soak longer, that’s fine).
- In the meantime, heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add one tablespoon of butter to the skillet when it is sufficiently hot.
- Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Remove from the skillet and add remaining pieces.
- Serve immediately.
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