Thick slices of challah, a silky custard bath, and two dreamy toppings — this french toast is the weekend flex you need.
Everyone needs a recipe for classic, foolproof skillet french toast, even stubborn people like me who, despite making it at least once a month and more often when there’s leftover challah, are so easily bored by and restless with simple recipes that I’ve resisted writing this up for almost 19 years. I’ve filled the french toast vacuum on the site instead with customizations: casserole‑style baked french toasts with cinnamon sugar toast and, uh, bailey’s (ah, the child‑free years). There’s even a fancy french toast akin to individual crème brûlées. But eventually, through a combination of friends texting on random weekend mornings [“Do you seriously not have a challah french toast recipe?!”] and the existence of a teenager, who I cannot teach to make french toast for us if I haven’t written it down, I’ve come to my senses. I mean, mostly.
This is a recipe for a very hard to mess up challah french toast with a few tricks I’ve picked up along the way, like the best way to heat a stainless steel or cast‑iron pan so that nothing sticks. I’ve included two toppings that elevate the dish: a berry sauce made from frozen berries, and a whipped vanilla‑bean cottage cheese topping that’s fluffy and light.
Servings | Time | Source |
8 to 10 thick slices | 1 hour | SaedNews |
Berry sauce
2 cups (10 oz) mixed frozen berries |
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2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar |
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Pinch of salt |
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3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons water, divided |
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1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch |
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1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice |
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2 cups (16 oz / 455 g) cottage cheese |
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1 tablespoon (15 g) granulated sugar |
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1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract |
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3 large eggs |
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2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract |
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1 1/2 cups (340 g) milk, any kind |
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1 large (1-lb) loaf challah, sliced 1–1.5 inches thick |
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Butter for the pan, salted preferred |
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Powdered sugar, for dusting |
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Make the berry sauce: Place berries, sugar, salt, and 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until berries defrost and become saucy, about 8–10 minutes.
Mix cornstarch with remaining 2 teaspoons water, stir into the sauce, simmer 1 more minute until slightly thickened. Off heat, add lemon juice to taste. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
Make the whipped cottage cheese: In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine cottage cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Blend until completely smooth and fluffy. Chill until ready to serve.
Make the french toast custard: In a wide bowl, whisk eggs with vanilla until smooth, then whisk in milk.
Heat a large skillet over medium-low for two minutes. Test with a droplet of water — it should bounce. Add 1 tablespoon butter and swirl.
Dip slices of challah in the egg-milk mixture, letting them soak briefly, flip and soak further. Add to pan and cook until browned underneath, 2–3 minutes. Adjust heat if browning too slowly.
Flip and brown the second side. Transfer to a serving plate and repeat with remaining slices, adding more butter as needed.
To serve: Dust with powdered sugar, place two slices per plate, add a dollop of whipped cottage cheese and spoon over berry sauce. Serve immediately.
Item | Storage |
Berry sauce | Keeps 3–4 days in the fridge. Good warm or room temperature. |
Whipped cottage cheese | Keeps 3–4 days in the fridge. |
French toast | Can be held warm in a 200°F oven. Leftovers keep 3 days in fridge. |
No challah? Use brioche.
No added sugar in custard because challah is already sweet; add sugar if you prefer sweeter custard.
If challah is very large, whisk in another egg + 1/2 cup milk if needed.
For stale or firmer challah, soak slices longer; nestle them in the custard while the first batch cooks.
