Alton Brown's Trick For Keeping French Toast Warm And Crisp
Alton Brown can often be spotted on the TV screen, hosting Food Network shows like "Good Eats," "Iron Chef America," and "Cutthroat Kitchen." He started his career as a cameraman in college, before enrolling into culinary school with the goal of making cooking shows, according to Food Network. They state that he has won two James Beard awards, as well as one Peabody award — though the latter of which was stolen in 2013.
Despite its name, French toast did not actually originate in France, according to Frenchly. The first recorded recipe was actually from Rome and dates back to the 5th century B.C. The Romans reportedly dipped slices of bread in milk, and sometimes eggs as well, before frying them to eat and enjoy.
Brown likes his French toast crispy. But if you are cooking for a crowd or making a large batch for breakfast, it may not be easy to keep every slice oven-fresh. Luckily, Brown has a trick to combat soggy French toast.
Keep it crispy
To keep French toast warm and crispy after cooking it, Brown suggests using two baking trays with racks. In a YouTube video posted to his channel, Brown demonstrates his method. One rack goes into an oven while empty, purely for the purpose of warming up the tray. He recommends setting the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the second rack, Brown lines up his slices of bread dipped in the egg and milk mixture. He lets them sit for a minute before frying them, either in a pan or on an electric griddle. Once each slice has been fried to that perfect golden color, Brown transfers them onto the rack in the oven, where they stay until they are ready to serve. This allows them to dry out just enough that they achieve a bit of a crispy outer layer.
Brown recommends slicing French toast into triangles, then topping with fruits and dark maple syrup.