There is a great diner near my house called Zaftigs and my favorite breakfast dish to get there is challah french toast. The only days that I could go to breakfast or brunch is on the weekends but the wait is usually at least an hour to two hours long. Being the inpatient me, I normally end up getting take out but french toast to go is just never as good so I decided to try making it at home. It was actually a lot easier than it seems!
Challah is a Jewish bread that is very similar to brioche but made with eggs with a slightly sweeter taste. I love eggs and there is a lot of eggs in challah itself hence why I love it so much. Plus you end up adding more eggs to make french toast! Hint: you’ll need a lot of eggs for this recipe! You can typically find challah at a regular supermarket. Sometimes they display them at the fresh baked items section where you find donuts, cakes, etc.
You want to cut thick slices to make a good french toast. Slice each piece about one inch thick like the picture above.
Soak the challah in a shallow dish for about 40 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Flip the challah a few times so that both sides are completely coated with the mixture. After soaking it for about an hour, flip it once again so that the other side gets coated a little bit more.
Melt 1/2 tablespoon of unsalted butter on a skillet under medium-high heat. When the butter is melted completely and the plan is hot, fry the challah for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. This will make the challah french toast crispy on the outside.
After 3 minutes, flip it over and fry the other side for another 3 minutes or until it turns brown like the picture above. Make sure the heat is not too high or else it will burn quickly without cooking in the inside through.
Transfer the french toast to a baking pan with a wire rack as you continue to fry the other pieces. When you have finished frying all the challah, bake them in the baking pan with the wire rack for about 8-10 minutes to allow the middle to cook through.
Dust some powdered sugar through a sieve and serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit!
Makes 6 slices
6 eggs
2/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 c fat free half and half
6 slices of challah, 1 inch thick
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
powdered sugar
maple syrup
fresh fruit (optional)
1. In a large bowl, crack the eggs and whisk in the sugar and salt.
2. Add the half and half into the egg mixture.
3. Place the challah in a large shallow dish and pour the mixture over the challah.
4. Turn the challah over a few times to evenly coat both sides.
5. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
6. After an hour, remove the challah from the refrigerator and turn over one more time.
7. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter on a skillet under medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the pan is hot, place one slice of challah and fry for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the bread from burning quickly.
8. Transfer the fried challah to a wire rack on a baking pan. Heat the oven to 350F.
9. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter before frying each slice of challah and repeat step 7 for all slices.
10. Bake the challah on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
11. Dust some powdered sugar on the challah french toast and serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit.
Source: flour, too – Joanne Chang
Hi!
This looks amazing. I was wondering if i could get the recipe for this specific challa bread, or where you bought it.
Thanks Sarit! You can find Challah bread at most large supermarkets usually near the daily baked items (french bread, muffins, etc.). If you cannot find it at your local store, try going to a Jewish grocery store or deli.