Why You Shouldn't Use Pre-Sliced Bread For French Toast

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On par with pancakes and waffles, French toast is a breakfast favorite whether you're eating out or at home. Bread is the foundation of French toast, however selecting the right type of loaf is only half of the equation. Pre-sliced bread may be a modern convenience, but it isn't what you want to be using for French toast. To understand why, we interviewed TV personality and cookbook author Antoni Porowski who recently teamed up with Nestlé for his Carnation Red Carpet Recipe Collection gift box replete with kitchenware, Carnation ingredients and A-list recipes.

According to Porowski pre-sliced bread means pre-determined toast. He opts to skip the slices in favor of a whole loaf because, he says,"I like that I get to control how thick each piece is going to be, and it hasn't been decided for me." Pre-sliced bread tends to be quite thin, which is fine for some French toast lovers, but it limits your possibilities for varied textures. 

As for the type of bread that best suits French toast, Porowski says, "Challah or brioche are my go-tos." We also use challah in this recipe for coconut macadamia French toast and this adapted French toast recipe from Evan Hanczor of Egg Restaurant. Despite a crusty exterior, Porowski also recommends sourdough for French toast. "Let the custard really absorb and put it on a pan with some brown butter," he advises, "You'll get a really nice textural component with the softness of the inside and the crust of the outside."

While it's easy to cut a slice of bread, the real magic of French toast lies in the custard. According to Porowski, "You want a nice custard – Carnation Evaporated Milk is a great add for that richness and taste." He goes on, "I like to use both evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk in the custard, so you get that creamy milk vibe, then add a good quality vanilla paste, and let it cook a little bit to really infuse that flavor in."

The custard is what gives the bread flavor and makes the interior crumb creamy and decadent. But, the slices must properly absorb the custard in order to transform. Consequently, Porowski advises, "You also want the bread cut thin enough where the custard will absorb all the way through the bread and get in the nooks and crannies." That said, a thick slab of challah French toast is still a show-stopping centerpiece. For thick-cut French toast, Porowski emphasizes, "Make sure you let it sit in the custard for a good amount of time so it can absorb."

If pre-sliced bread is the only option available to you, Porowski stresses the importance of custard absorption as well as "being strategic with your temperature." To get those crispy edges and a custardy interior, Porowski says, "Go with higher heat on the edges of the bread to get them crispy. Then, for the flat surface of the bread, go slow and low with the heat."