For An Instant French Toast Upgrade, Skip The Bread And Reach For This Popular Pastry

In France and New Orleans, French toast is known as pain perdu, meaning lost bread. This is because the dish was traditionally made with stale bread. But the truth is that the tastiest French toast might not be made with sliced bread at all. For the absolute best French toast, our money is on croissants.

While brioche bread is a very popular upgrade option for French toast (thanks to its sweeter taste and high butter and egg content), croissants are even better. No matter what your favorite French toast recipe is, croissants can be the star of your dish. 

Here's why: Croissants are made via a process called lamination, in which butter is encased in the pastry dough. Then the dough is repeatedly folded in thin layers, giving the croissant its signature flaky texture that we know and love. The dough is made with levain, a leavening agent that is similar to sourdough starter, and that tangy flavor perfectly cuts through the butter-foward pastry. All of this helps to make croissants the perfect base for sweet, crispy, and light French toast. 

Now that you know the best bread for unforgettable French toast is some kind of croissant, let's talk toppings. Don't feel limited to powdered sugar and syrup (although they're a classic for a reason). There are so many creative and delicious options to elevate your French toast. For example, if you're making coconut macadamia French toast, you can top your dish with coconut flakes, pineapples, or chocolate syrup. 

Or take a page from Giada De Laurentis's book. Giada makes an Italian-style French toast with olive oil, and she uses mascarpone cheese and pistachio cream for toppings. You could also amp up your French toast by making compound toppings, such as orange vanilla compound butter or brown sugar compound butter. Sweet ingredients are the perfect addition to butter, especially when you pair it with fresh fruit, citrus zest, and white chocolate shavings for the ultimate brunch dish. 

Beyond French toast, croissants can do a lot of heavy lifting at the breakfast table. We love this croissant breakfast casserole recipe featuring cheese, pancetta, and day-old croissants. Or use a muffin pan to make croissant egg cups. Whether you want a sweet or savory egg cup, these handheld treats are the perfect answer.