Try it. You'll like it.

I guess I could waste your time by listing a ton of excuses as to why I haven’t written anything for the better part of a year…but I won’t. I’ll just give you a few: I’m busy. I’m lazy. I’m in love. Sue me.

Alright, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I can move on to the thing that has nagged me into writing something finally: french toast. What’s up with all the bad french toast out there? It has to be one of the simplest things to make. I’m pretty sure it was one of the first things that I consistently cooked for myself, starting at the age of, like, 6. The stuff I was making when I was 6 was still better than some of the stuff that I’ve paid for in restaurants recently. For me, there are two key components that make french toast acceptable; a toasty, caramelized surface, and a rich, custardy inside. The second one is a lot harder to find than it should be. I’m a little embarrassed for these places that are serving bread dipped in an egg batter masquerading as french toast. It’s very simple really. A slice of bread has almost the exact same structure as a sponge. If you simply soak your bread long enough, or better yet, just give it a little squeeze, it’ll soak up all of that delicious custard, and I promise it won’t disappoint. Spread the word people! Down with bad french toast! Long live the good stuff!

Bread sponges.

Sourdough French Toast
about 10 slices

10 3/4″ thick slices of sourdough baguette
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
2 yolks
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1/2 orange
pinch salt
butter for frying

I like to cook this in a cast iron skillet or on a griddle top. It’s the only way to fly. What!? You don’t have one? I’ve picked more than one up at a thrift store for just a couple bucks.

Preheat cast iron cooking device of your choice. Get it nice and hot, but certainly not smoking. Whisk all ingredients together (except bread and butter) and pour into a square-ish baking dish. Place sliced bread, a few pieces at a time in the custard and gently press and squeeze each piece until it couldn’t possibly absorb anymore custard. Melt some butter onto your cooking surface. As soon as the butter is melted, transfer the fully soaked bread. Cook on one side about 2 minutes, or until beautifully crunchy and caramelized. Cook an additional 2 minutes. While this batch is cooking, soak your next batch of bread. Repeat until all of your bread is done. Voila! Delicious french toast, every time.