While you don’t need an excuse to make French toast, I have one for you anyway. The Paris Olympics are ending, and to honor these triumphant sports-folk, I’d like to invite you to make a French toast worthy of an Olympian on a post-competition treat-day. It’s not your average French toast, it’s stuffed French toast.
What is stuffed French toast?
Regular French toast is nothing to sneeze at. You dunk thick slices of bread into a creamy, sweet custard (or ice cream), and fry the enriched bread in a buttery frying pan. The result is a decadent, caramelized treat that's akin to an express serving of bread pudding.
Stuffed French toast keeps the crucial anchor point of custard soaked bread but invites you to make it twice as thick, and with a surprise center. All you need is: an unsliced loaf of bread, an egg, some milk or cream, and some fillings. Cookie dough turned out to be my favorite filling, but you're only limited by your imagination.
How to make stuffed French toast
1. Cut a double-wide slice of bread
The reason you need an unsliced loaf of bread is because you need to cut an extra large slice. Instead of smashing two separate slices of bread together (which will probably slide apart, especially if you have melty fillings), you'll cut a pocket into an extra wide slice.
I used EuroClassic's braided brioche loaf that I got from my local ShopRite. You can use a loaf of milk bread, challah, or any bread that has some integrity, a soft crust, and a relatively tight crumb texture (not too many big holes). Trim off the butt end to expose the crumb, then cut a thick slice, about 1.5 inches to 2 inches wide.
2. Slice a pocket
Using a thin knife, preferably serrated, cut into the center. Try to get close to the three other sides without cutting through. You want space for the fillings to cover as much real estate as possible without oozing out in the pan.
3. Stuff the bread
You can use any combination of fillings you like. Go sweet or savory and have some fun. The only word of caution I have is don’t overdo it. Whether you’re stuffing dumplings, rolling sushi, or stuffing French toast, adding too much is sure to lead to a mess.
I had been aging cookie dough this week, so I happen to be chocolate chip cookie dough-rich at the moment. I tried using a knife but I ended up just using my finger to poke the raw cookie dough into one of my French toasts. I filled the other with peanut butter and sliced frozen strawberries. You could try sliced bananas and Nutella, raspberry jam and slivered almonds, or jambon et gruyère.
4. Dunk the stuffed bread
Make a custard by whisking together one whole egg, a couple tablespoons of heavy cream (or vegan cream), and a couple tablespoons of sugar together in a wide bowl. If you’re making a savory toast then you can skip the sugar and add a quarter-teaspoon of salt.
Dunk the stuffed breads into the custard briefly on all six sides. You don’t want to over soak the bread, or it could start to break apart. Just a couple seconds on each side will do.
5. Pan fry the French toast
Heat a frying pan over medium-low and add a chip of salted butter, enough to coat the bottom once melted. When the butter starts bubbling, add the stuffed French toast. Put a lid on the pan. If you don’t have a lid that fits, try an upside down metal bowl. The bread is thicker than usual, so putting a lid on the pan will help cook the custard and warm the fillings through with the help of the trapped steam.
You want to cook the toast for about three minutes on each side, so check to see if you need to reduce the heat to prevent burning. When you flip the toast, you may need to add more butter. When it’s finished, cool the stuffed French toast on a wire cooling rack for a few minutes before serving.
This recipe is extremely versatile. I’m convinced any stuffing will deliver great results, but I have to tell you that the cookie dough-stuffed French toast was simply breathtaking. If you enjoy the ooziness of questionably cooked cookie dough, then you must try this. The surrounding custard-soaked bread gave it the texture of what I imagine a slice of cookie dough cake would be like. (If you're worried about raw ingredient safety, use a thermometer to test for 160°F, or some packaged brands make "edible cookie dough.")
This stuffed French toast is best enjoyed anytime of year, but it will be particularly sweet during this Sunday’s closing ceremony.
Stuffed French Toast Recipe
Ingredients:
2 extra-thick slices of bread
Sweet or savory fillings (cheese, deli meats, cookie dough, fruits, jams, or nut butters)
1 egg
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar (or ¼ teaspoon salt for savory toast)
Salted butter for the pan
1. Slice a center cut into both pieces of bread to form a pocket. Try not to poke through the other three sides.
2. Fill the break pocket with your fillings of choice.
3. Set a frying pan over medium-low heat and add enough butter to coat the bottom.
4. Whisk together the egg, cream, and sugar (or salt) in a wide bowl. Dunk the stuffed breads into the custard to coat all the sides.
5. Fry the French toast in the buttery pan with a cover or lid on top. Cook the toast for about 3 minutes per side. Cool briefly on a wire rack before serving.