Challah French Toast

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Romantic Breakfast

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (39)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(39)

Cook Time:
12 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
8 large slices

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: 5 min
Cook: 12 min
Total:: 27 min

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Ingredients

6 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon good honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large loaf challah or brioche bread
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil

To serve:

Pure maple syrup
Good raspberry preserves (optional)
Sifted confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4-inch thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Challah French Toast
Melinda san diego, CA 11-09-2009
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Stephen's Favorite Breakfast at his girlfriends!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Congratulations! You have succesfully found the next clue. Go to youtube.com and search "mackenzielt" click on the video with... your name in it. :) love, MTRead more
recipe Challah French Toast
Alexander Boston, CA 10-12-2009
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Superb
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This had all the right flavors balanced out and though I was fearful that the challah would soak up too much or leave too... little liquid for the end of the preparation, i was wrong. It was exactly enough. Be careful to judge your "soaking factor" within the 5 minute window. Since I had fresh challah, it didnt need more than 2-3 minutes per batch. Staler one, would need more soaking. The "sogginess" is a personal preference I feel. I like my french toast moist on the inside and crispy/toasty on the outside. Depending on your sweet tooth, you can omit the jams for serving (I did). Old fashioned powdered sugar, touch of butter and good maple syrup was just right. The honey and orange zest in the challah balance the sweetness very well. I second the bacon as a side, though its amazing on its own. Thanks Ina !! Enjoy!! Read more
recipe Challah French Toast
Rose McKinney, TX 09-01-2009
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Fantastic!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Thank you Ina! My family adores this french toast. I will never go back to making french toast with sandwich bread or a... bagette. The challah is wonderful. We even like it topped with fresh fruit. Read more
recipe Challah French Toast
Kristy Arlington, VA 08-22-2009
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Delightful
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was my first venture into french toast and I was surprised by how simple and full of flavor this recipe was. The orange... zest added a lovely hint of flavor at the end of every bite! I made them with Ina's recipe for maple-roasted bacon and both were a huge hit!Read more
recipe Challah French Toast
Karen New York, NY 08-16-2009
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Easy & Delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

WOW this was tasty. I am usually too lazy to cook breakfast on weekends but I tried this on a whim, and it is so good it just... might change my routine. Like most people it seems, I didn't quite follow the recipe exactly, but it was close. I only left out the orange zest and used 1% milk because I made this on impulse and didn't have the precise items available. I also poured the egg into a glass baking pan for soaking the bread pieces, since I have no shallow bowls. Perhaps that helped avoid the soggy bread everyone else is afraid of. It turned out so delicious!! I think using richer milk and orange zest like the recipe calls for would make it better, but it was already good as it was. Using challah bread is critical. If you're determined to substitute another bread it must be an egg bread like maybe brioche or Hawaiian royal bread. Also my stove must be weaker than the one Ina uses because I had to turn the burner heat above medium. (Not quite medium-high though, that singed a couple pieces. The challah burns readily when the heat is too high.)Read more
recipe Challah French Toast
ghada San Francisco, CA 05-19-2009
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SOOoooo Good!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I love this recipe. I've made it a few times, but the last time I actually followed Ina's suggestion of keeping them in the... warm oven until the rest are done. The result was a crispy outer layer that was to die for! I love having these with turkey bacon or sausage. It's all you need for a truly delicious, decadent breakfast. The challah is perfect! Read more