Perfect Sourdough French Toast

This sourdough french toast recipe starts with great ingredients, and lets them shine. Delicious sourdough bread dipped in a mixture of pasture raised eggs, milk and a pinch of cinnamon. Then drizzled with local honey.

It’s perfect, the kind of meal that makes you say “Wow” out loud.

I’m vacationing in Fairview North Carolina this week, just outside Asheville. Farmers market season is in full swing and we arrived on Friday night. That means I was up early on Saturday to head to the market in search of veggies, eggs, meat and so on.

I was also planning to buy a loaf of long-fermented sourdough bread at the market, instead something even better happened. I found a bakery minutes from where we’re staying that makes a true sourdough bread – fermented for three days. Three days you guys, that’s a rare find!

As soon as I saw this beautiful loaf of sourdough bread from Rise Above Bakehouse I knew it was destined for french toast. Look at all those delicious pockets of airy goodness!

Does sourdough bread make a good french toast?

Yes! Sourdough bread does make great french toast. So long as you start with a great sourdough.

Great sourdough bread not only tastes incredible, the texture helps it avoid getting soggy from the egg.

Not all sourdough breads are created equal though. Keep reading to learn how to find a good sourdough for french toast.

How to find great sourdough bread for french toast?

The key to the best sourdough is a baker who uses the natural process of fermentation to rise their dough, and not commercial baker’s yeast.

By its definition, sourdough is a bread that is naturally leavened through the process of fermentation. But many bakers use commercial yeast in their sourdough. Commercial yeast speeds up the process of rising the dough, making fermentation unnecessary or incredibly brief and superficial.

Not only does this impact the taste and texture of the sourdough, it also impacts the health benefits that you get from a real sourdough loaf.

Studies show that fermented breads are easier to digest (such as this one). Those who don’t tolerate wheat (me), may find they can enjoy sourdough without issues (yay me!).

Look for sourdough that has been fermented for at least 6 to 12 hours, with 24 hours plus being ideal. And avoid sourdough that includes “yeast” in the ingredient list.

To identify a good sourdough bread, ask the baker if they use baker’s yeast in their sourdough, and for how long they ferment it.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Sourdough French Toast

Sourdough Bread

Starting with delicious sourdough bread is the key to the perfect french toast.

Real sourdough has been fermented for at least 6 to 12 hours, which gives it an airy, chewy texture.

This makes sourdough bread perfect for french toast because it can hold up to the eggs without getting soggy.

Pasture Raised Eggs

I made this sourdough french toast with eggs from Dry Ridge Farm.

Dry Ridge Farm keeps their hens on pasture, which means they eat a lot of grass, plants and bugs and have beautiful deep orange yolks. Find out how you can buy eggs direct from a local farm.

You can use whatever good quality eggs you have on hand.

I also wrote an article about the difference between cage-free, free-range and pasture raised eggs that you can read if you’re curious.

Honey

Usually french toast is drizzled with maple syrup, and while I have nothing against (real) maple syrup, honey is a far better match for french toast. Especially this treasure of a honey with natural notes of cinnamon that I found at the market.

I got it from Charlie at WilderKin Honey. Charlie is a beekeeper and had a few different batches of honey from bees they keep in different areas around Asheville. The jar I bought has notes of cinnamon from the clover the bees were feeding on.

When I knew I was making sourdough french toast, it called to be drizzled with this honey.

Notes of cinnamon plus french toast – yes please! This would be the perfect pairing.

If you don’t live in the Asheville area where you can buy this honey, that’s OK, find a small honey producer where ever you do live.

Milk

When making sourdough french toast, or any french toast, you need the eggs liquid enough that they’ll soak into the bread some, but not so liquidy that the bread gets soggy. I add just a half tablespoon of milk for two eggs.

Cinnamon

Just a pinch of cinnamon added to the eggs before whisking is perfect. We’re not wanting to over power the other ingredients here.

How to Make Sourdough French Toast

This recipe easily makes four pieces of sourdough french toast and depending on the size of your pieces of bread, you might get six.

1. Break two eggs into a bowl wide enough to accommodate a slice of bread.
2. Add half a tablespoon of milk and a pinch of cinnamon.
3. Use a fork to whisk the ingredients just until the yolks are blended well with the egg whites.
4. Heat a frying pan on the stovetop over medium heat.
5. Add a tablespoon of butter to the hot pan.
6. While the butter melts, slide a slice of sourdough bread into the egg mixture. Coat one side, then flip and coat the other. Be sure to coat the crust as well. But don’t leave the bread in there to soak!
7. Place the egg-coated bread carefully into the sizzling butter.
8. Don’t touch until it starts to brown, then flip and finish the other side. When it’s done there will be some brown on the surface and the egg will appear cooked. Mine took about two minutes per side.

Sourdough French Toast

This sourdough french toast recipe starts with great ingredients, and lets them shine. Delicious sourdough bread dipped in a mixture of pasture raised eggs, milk and a pinch of cinnamon. Then drizzled with local honey.

It’s perfect, the kind of meal that makes you say “Wow” out loud.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 tbsp milk
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• honey enough to drizzle

Instructions

 

• Break both eggs into a wide bowl.
• Add the milk and cinnamon.
• Whisk the ingredients together with a fork, until the yolks and egg whites are blended.
• Heat a frying pan on the stovetop over medium heat.
• Add the butter to the hot pan.
• While the butter melts, coat both sides of a piece of sourdough with the egg mixture. Be sure to coat the crust but don't leave it to soak.
• Place the egg-coated bread carefully into the sizzling butter.
• Let it fry, untouched, until it begins to brown. Then flip. About 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Drizzle the sourdough french toast with local honey to serve.

Notes

Multiple slices of french toast can be fried at the same time as your pan will accommodate.

Keyword french toast, honey, sourdough