Homemade French Toast

Great bread makes great French toast. I decided on a loaf of French bread from the day-old bread rack. If the bread is just a little dry, it absorbs the custard mixture better.

Time to slice the bread.

I find that 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thickness works best. Any thicker than that and I'd need to cook it in the oven after I fry it so the inside isn't mushy.

All of my ingredients are ready to go.

Step one for making the custard: Beat the eggs and milk together. Custard is what you call the mixture you drag your bread slices through.

Once the eggs and milk are well-combined, add the salt, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla and continue beating until everything is well-blended.

Place the bread slices - a couple at a time - into the custard mixture. (The larger your bowl, the more slices you can fit. If I ever have to make a lot of French toast quickly, I pour the custard into a casserole dish so I can soak several pieces at once.)

Flip the bread in the mixture and let it set for about 10 seconds so the bread gets really soaked through.

Time to fry. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Drag the bread slices directly from the custard mixture to the hot pan. Don't over-fill the pan as you'll need room to flip the bread.

Once the slices are golden brown on the underside, flip them over and fry the other side until lightly browned. It usually takes about 4 or 5 minutes for the first side and just 2 or 3 minutes for the other side.

Add more butter as needed as you fry additional batches.

If you want to keep all your slices of French toast warm so you can serve them at the same time... place cooked slices on a cookie sheet in an oven set to 200 degrees.

Very important... have plenty of softened butter and warm maple syrup standing by.