Challah French Toast
About this recipe
Challah French Toast is a delicious twist on the classic breakfast dish, using challah bread for a rich, eggy flavor that's hard to beat. This recipe, shared by Ina Garten on Food Network, elevates traditional French toast with a custard that includes orange zest and honey, making it a standout choice for brunch or a cozy breakfast at home.
Using challah or brioche bread not only enhances the flavor but also gives the toast a lovely texture. The soaking process allows the bread to absorb all the delicious custard, ensuring every bite is packed with flavor.
Ingredient notes
- Extra-large eggs can be used instead of large eggs.
- Use half-and-half for a richer flavor, but milk works just fine too.
- Adjust the amount of grated orange zest to your taste.
Tips from Food Network’s video
- Crack the eggs on a board instead of the side of the dish to avoid getting shells in the mixture.
- Soak the bread for about 5 minutes for optimal flavor absorption, but if you're in a hurry, a shorter soak is okay.
- Mix butter and oil for frying to get the flavor of butter with the higher burning temperature of the oil.
Good to know
- How many servings does this recipe yield?
- This recipe yields 8 large slices.
- What is the total time needed to make this dish?
- The total time needed to make this dish is 27 minutes.
- What type of bread should I use for this recipe?
- You should use challah or brioche bread.
- How thick should I slice the bread for the French toast?
- You should slice the challah into 3/4-inch thick slices.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Food Network: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- 2
In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt.
- 3
Slice the challah into 3/4-inch thick slices.
- 4
Soak as many slices of bread in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.
- 5
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- 6
Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until nicely browned.
- 7
Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven.
- 8
Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed until all are cooked.
- 9
Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- Used 'large' for eggs as a standard size, but extra-large can be used.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Food Network’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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