French Toast

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Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • Bread
    • 300g milk, warm
    • 110g (1/2 cup) sugar
    • 9g salt
    • 1/4 tsp yeast
    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 cup butter, melted
    • 8g  wheat gluten
    • 500g flour
  • French Toast
    • 6 eggs
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 cups half and half
    • Oil
    • 1 tbsp butter
    • Maple syrup

Directions

  1. For the bread, combine the milk, sugar, salt, yeast, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl.  Stir together.  Stir in the eggs and butter.
  2. Add the wheat gluten and flour, and mix together until no dry patches remain.
    • I found it easiest to do this with my hand.  It's a bit slimy, but squeezing it through your fist will quickly get everything mixed.
  3. Cover and let rest for 30-40 minutes.
  4. With a very wet hand, grab the side of the dough and fold over the top.  Rotate the bowl and repeat 4 - 5 times.  This helps to build the wheat gluten.
    • The wet hand will prevent the dough from sticking to your hand.  Don't worry about the extra water that's being added.
  5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 three more times.  After the last iteration, form the dough into a taut ball.
  6. Cover and let rest overnight.
  7. The next morning, your dough should have risen and look smooth.
  8. Heat the 2 quart Dutch oven at 425°F for 35-40 minutes to ensure that it's evenly heated.
  9. Place the silicone liner in the Dutch oven.  Using a spatula, "pour" the dough into the silicone.  It'll be a large mass, and you'll see some crinkles along the top edge.  Don't worry about that.
  10. Cover with the top half of the Dutch oven.
  11. Bake at 425°F for 45 minutes.  During the last 5 minutes, remove the lid to let it bake uncovered.
  12. Remove from the oven, pop out of the silicone liner, and let cool on a wire rack.
  13. For the egg custard, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and half and half.
  14. Slice the bread into 1.25" thick sliced.  Place on a wire rack on a baking sheet, and bake at 180°F for 30 minutes, flipping once in the middle.
  15. Pour your custard in a low profile dish, like a pie plate.  One by one, place the bread in the pie plate and let soak for 30 seconds on each side.  Transfer the soaked bread to a plate while you continue preparing the remaining slices.
    • This long of a soak time works because the homemade bread is pretty strong.  If you're using store-bought bread, soaking this long might cause it to fall apart.
  16. Warm some oil in a frying pan over medium low heat.  Add the butter, and when melted fry your custard-soaked bread.  About 2-3 minutes per side.
  17. Serve warm, topped with maple syrup.

Adapted from Brian Lagerstrom.








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