The Best Sourdough French Toast Recipe

The best sourdough French toast recipe is totally made from scratch with simple ingredients. Homemade sourdough bread is soaked in a custardy egg mixture and cooked to perfection. This is a recipe the whole family will be raving about.

I’ve been a fan of French toast for a really long time now, and I love to make it for my family. My father-in-law says that my cinnamon raisin bread French toast (which basically uses the same egg mixture, but with my raisin bread recipe) is the best he has ever had.

Now, that one is not made with sourdough; that is just a regular yeast raisin bread. So today, I’m going to show you how to do that with my homemade sourdough bread.

This recipe does take a little bit of forethought, but I promise you, it is totally worth it.

There is something about creating this recipe from scratch – from mixing and kneading, to soaking it in the mixture of eggs that were collected from our chickens and milk straight from our dairy cow, to frying it in raw butter – that makes it extra special.

You get to have a part in every step of the process, which is truly a lost art in our society today.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. It makes the best weekend breakfast or brunch for a special occasion.

Top Tips:

• If you are wanting to make this completely from scratch, bread and all, you will want to make sure you plan ahead. Know that you will need to feed your starter a few hours before starting the bread, and then allow it to ferment for 8-12 hours and up to 24 hours.
• I like to fry my French toast in butter, but coconut oil would also work.
• Start your frying pan on medium-high heat to create a good sear, then, after you flip it, turn the heat down to medium-low. This helps get a crust while also cooking it totally through.
• Use thick slices of bread, so it can really absorb the egg mixture.
• If you are new to sourdough, you can learn all about creating a starter and why we ferment almost all our grain products here.
• This is a great way to use leftover sourdough bread.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Ingredients:

Sourdough Brioche Bread: I prefer to make it from scratch with my sourdough brioche recipe. This is a super soft rich bread that makes the best French toast (challah and sandwich bread are also good choices). Any sourdough bread will do really.

I like a softer bread, but a crusty sourdough bread will also work. If you don’t have a sourdough starter or just simply don’t have the time, you can pick up a quality loaf of sourdough sandwich bread. This is also a great way to use up stale sourdough bread.

Eggs: Try to choose pasture-raised whenever possible. They are more nutritious and delicious.

Milk: Whole milk is preferred, but use what you have. Find out why we drink raw milk here.

Cream: This makes an extra delicious, extra creamy custard for dunking. 

Honey or maple syrup: Either will work, both lend themselves to slightly different flavors.

Vanilla extract: Adds a delightful vanilla flavor to the custard.

Salt: Salt is such an under appreciated addition to sweetened recipes. It really helps bring out all the flavors of a dish and shouldn’t be skipped.

Cinnamon – Nothing like the warm cinnamon flavor. During the fall, you could also substitute it with pumpkin spice.

Butter for frying – Need I say more?

Tools you may need:

Mixer – Recently, I got this professional KitchenAid mixer and love it.

Bread pans: I love these stainless steel pans.

Cast iron skillet

Large glass bowl

Egg mixer or whisk

Sharp knife

Measuring cups and spoons

FAQ:

Is Sourdough good for toast?

This will depend on the type of sourdough bread you use. If you use my recipe for sandwich bread, then it will work well. But sourdough made in a Dutch oven is not as ideal, as the crust can be much too hard for making a good slice of French toast. It totally can be done; it’s just a little more difficult.

How do you make French toast not soggy?

It all depends on how you cook it. Start it off on a higher heat to sear the outside, creating a golden-brown crust, then as soon as you flip it to the other side, turn the heat down to medium-low so the French toast cooks slower and all the way through.

Why is sourdough a healthier choice?

Sourdough is the process of fermenting grains and allowing the natural yeasts to raise the bread.

During this fermentation, phytic acid – that is naturally occurring in the grains – is broken down, making some nutrients, like folate, increase while making other nutrients more bioavailable.

Fermenting grains can also increase the digestibility, and may even lower amounts of gluten. (source)

Some people that have gluten sensitivities may be able to tolerate long-fermented (18-24 hours) wheat products. I have a friend whose daughter cannot tolerate any gluten-containing foods, except for long-fermented sourdough products.

Is brioche or sourdough better for French toast?

How about using sourdough brioche. Benefits of sourdough while also the light, fluffy, and butteriness of brioche. When most people think of sourdough, they usually think of the typical crusty loaves, but there is so many ways to make sourdough bread.

What kind of bread should be used for French toast?

Can I make this dairy free?

Sure. Substitute the milk and cream for almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or really any dairy-free milk. Because these milks tend to lack in fat (unless you use full fat coconut milk) it won’t be as rich. Cook in coconut oil or avocado.

How to store sourdough french toast:

Place leftover french toast in an airtight container and keep in the fridge up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or on a cast iron skillet.

It also freezes really well. Individually wrap the slices of delicious french toast in plastic wrap or parchment paper, place in an air-tight container (or freezer bag)and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, place in the oven or just pop into the toaster. The perfect easy, healthy, make-ahead breakfast.

How To Make Sourdough French Toast:

First, you want to start off by grabbing some sourdough bread. I made my favorite sourdough brioche, allowing it to ferment for 8 to 12 hours. You could also use your favorite store-bought version.

Bake.

After the bread has baked, allow it to cool a bit. This recipe will work with fresh bread or leftover stale bread.

In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, milk, cream, honey, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until completely combined and it is nice and frothy.

Cut bread slices; I usually cut my bread into one-inch-thick slices for homemade French toast.

Place a slice of bread into the egg mixture, and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes for best results. Yes, ten minutes. The bread will get nice and saturated, and will almost be falling apart.

While it is soaking, heat up a large skillet over medium heat. You don’t want to add the soaked bread until it is really hot. If you put your soaked bread in the pan while it’s still cold, it will stick.

Also, waiting until it’s hot will also give the French toast that crispy, fried taste if you add butter or coconut oil to it. I prefer butter for the flavor.

Add egg-soaked bread to the hot skillet. Allow it to cook for a few minutes until it becomes caramelized on one side.

Flip and allow it to caramelize on the other side and turn golden brown. Then, turn the heat down to low so it can cook all the way through. This way, the eggs that are soaked into the bread get cooked, creating a really nice consistency (and so it is not soggy).

Serve with some butter, a drizzle of maple syrup, fresh fruit, peanut butter, fresh berries, jam, and a dollop of whipped cream (I love making whip cream by just placing heavy cream with a little sugar in the stand mixer and whisk until light and fluffy).

French Toast Variations:

Sourdough Brioche French Toast

Mascarpone Stuffed Sourdough French Toast Casserole

Cranberry French Toast Casserole

Sourdough French Toast Casserole with Apple, Cinnamon, and Raisin

Find More Delicious Sourdough Brunch Recipes:

• Sourdough Donuts With Cinnamon Sugar
• Breakfast Pizza Recipe With Sourdough Crust
• Sourdough Crepes Recipes
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Topping
• Easy Sourdough Waffles Recipe
• Sourdough Baked Donuts

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you!