Berries or chopped soft fruit(like ripe peaches or nectarines)
Instructions
Use a whisk or a fork to beat the eggs in a wide shallow bowl or baking pan. Beat in the vanilla, cinnamon (if using), sugar, and salt. Add the milk and whisk to combine thoroughly.
Heat a very large skillet over medium heat. While the skillet is heating up, place a piece of the challah in the milk mixture and let it sit for about 1 minute. Flip the bread and let soak for another minute. If your bread is very dry, it might need to soak for longer, take it out when it is soaked through but not mushy.
When the skillet is quite hot, take the bread from the milk mixture, allow any excess to drip back into the bowl, and then melt a tablespoon of the butter in the pan, swirling it to coat the bottom. Place the dipped bread in the skillet, and repeat with more slices, sitting as many pieces in the pan as possible in a single layer. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, then transfer the French Toast to a serving plate or platter. Repeat with the remaining butter and dipped bread.
Serve the French toast hot with confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and whatever other toppings you like.
Notes
Challah is far and away my favorite bread to use for making French Toast. The bread is made with eggs, so it is richer than plain white loaves. Brioche is another egg-based bread that is a great choice. And you can definitely use a plain Pullman loaf if you like — just make sure your slices are nice and thick.
For the egg custard, I almost always lean into more full-fat dairy products, preferring a smaller portion of a richer dish to a larger portion of a less satisfying one.
Make sure to mix the custard batter thoroughly so you don’t get patches of just egg or milk.
Soak the bread until the custard permeates the slices to the middle, but don't let it sit too long, or the bread will become soggy and fall apart.
Don't turn the heat up too high, or your French toast will scorch instead of gently browning.