This is the best challah French toast! Challah bread French toast is a decadent yet simple recipe that's sure to make your brunch extra special.
Challah French toast is a wonderfully decadent brunch recipe
If you want to impress, here's a restaurant-like French toast.
I used to think that a breakfast this decadent was something you could only get at a fancy restaurant. But then I realized just how easy (and budget-friendly) it is to make at home.
This French toast is really the perfect recipe as it’s simple enough to make for an everyday breakfast, yet rich enough to serve for special occasion brunches.
Let me share my favorite tips and tricks for making this challah bread French toast recipe.
What is Challah French Toast
If you’ve never had this before, get ready because it’s another level of breakfast decadence.
Challah French toast is a rich, indulgent, fluffy breakfast recipe that you won’t want to stop eating.
Not only is it eggy and custardy, but the thick slices can hold up to any toppings that you want to cover them with.
If you want the richness of using challah, but the convenience of making it overnight, try this Challah French Toast Casserole.
Why challah bread makes delicious French toast
I’ve eaten a lot of French toast. So trust me when I say that challah French toast is one of the best.
Specifically, challah bread has some key characteristics that make it ideal for this brunch-staple:
- Eggy, rich flavor
- Firm enough to stand up to the egg custard so each bite doesn’t get too soggy
- Beautiful egg-washed crust that’s perfect for French toast
- Can be cut into thick slices to make restaurant-worthy French toast slices
How is challah bread different from regular bread?
There are two main categories of bread: those made from a rich dough and those made from a lean dough.
The main difference is that rich doughs are higher in fat and often sweeter. As a result, breads made from a rich dough end up with a pillowy-soft texture and slightly sweeter flavor.
Challah is a braided bread made using a rich dough consisting of eggs, flour, oil, yeast, sugar (sometimes), and salt.
It’s much richer than regular sandwich bread (which is made from a lean dough). You can even tell the difference just by looking at it as challah has a beautiful yellow color thanks to the eggs.
And unlike brioche, challah bread doesn’t contain any butter, milk, or other form of dairy, and tends to be less sweet.
From personal experience, I also find that challah tends to be slightly firmer than French brioche.
How to make Challah French Toast
This brunch recipe using challah bread is surprisingly straight-forward to make. And it starts by using just a few quality ingredients.
Ingredients you need:
You only need six ingredients to make the best challah French toast:
- Eggs
- Whole milk
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Challah bread
- Butter
Tip: Want a rich vanilla flavor? I recommend this double-fold Madagascar Vanilla Extract as it’s made with twice the amount of vanilla beans for a serious punch of flavor.
Tips for making the best challah French toast
When making the custard, whisk until the egg is fully incorporated as you don’t want pieces of egg whites ending up on your cooked French toast slices.
Once your custard is thoroughly mixed, all that’s left is dipping your bread slices and then cooking them on a lightly greased skillet.
Tip: Looking to make this breakfast quickly? My best advice is pouring the egg custard into a 9x13 baking pan so that you can soak all 4 slices at one time.
While you may have already heard of this trick, I used to spend far too much time dipping one slice at a time. Now I can soak all the slices at once, making the whole process more efficient.
Finally, transfer your custard-soaked slices to the preheated skillet and cook until they're a nice golden brown.
Just be sure to let the excess custard drip off the bread before placing on the skillet otherwise you'll end up with a custard puddle under each slice.
Toppings make this French toast recipe even better
Simple is often best, so I always serve my challah French toast with a pat of butter and maple syrup. But for extra texture, I’ll sometimes add fresh berries or a sprinkle of nuts or seeds.
If you really want to impress your guests, you can go all-out and serve this with my homemade blood orange whipped butter.
Love warm maple syrup? Try this maple syrup warmer. Heat it up, then unplug it and bring it to the table.
Looking for more Challah breakfast ideas?
Love challah bread? This recipe isn’t the only way to enjoy challah for breakfast.
Here are a few more challah breakfast ideas to try:
Challah bread is also delicious lightly toasted and spread with homemade strawberry chia jam or blueberry chia jam.
Challah Bread French Toast is an impressive yet simple brunch recipe that your guests will love
For weekend mornings when you feel like treating yourself, I hope you make this easy brunch recipe. It looks fancy, but it'll be quick to whip up. I know it’s become a recipe that my family looks forward to.
Any questions? Feel free to ask in the comments below.
Challah French Toast
Print Recipe Save RecipeIngredients
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons quality vanilla extract
- 4 1-inch slice challah bread
- 1 knob butter - for cooking
Toppings
- butter
- maple syrup
- fresh berries
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs together well. Beat in the milk, sugar and vanilla.
- Layer the challah bread in a single layer across a large baking dish (I use my 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan). Gently pour the egg mixture over the bread slices. Allow to soak for 2 minutes. Gently flip using a spatula. Allow to soak an additional 2 minutes. Tip the pan around if needed to help the bread absorb the egg mixture. The bread should soak up all of the egg mixture.
- Heat a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Melt a knob of butter on it. Gently transfer all 4 challah french toast to the pan, letting excess custard drip off each slice. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is also golden brown, about 3 minutes. If you feel like your french toast is browning too quickly, turn the heat down.
- Serve immediately. Top with butter, maple syrup and fresh berries, or use your favorite toppings.
Keira says
Perfect taste!
Rohtak says
Wow really nice and awesome recipe with full of nutrients
mohan kumar says
Thank you for sharing that lovely food recipe.