Savory Herb French Toast

Why This Savory Herb French Toast Works

As the sourdough sits in the egg and milk mixture, the bread soaks it up like a sponge. The holes in the sourdough pull in the liquid, so the slices end up full of egg from the inside out. During cooking, that egg slowly sets inside the bread, so the slices stay soft in the middle instead of drying out. The Parmesan melts into that egg layer, so it sticks to the bread instead of falling off in the pan.

Once the slices hit the hot butter, the outside starts to brown and crisp. The milk and cheese on the surface dry out a bit and form a thin, crunchy crust. At the same time, the herbs and garlic powder spread through the warm egg and bread, so every bite tastes even. By the time both sides are golden, the inside is tender and custardy, the outside is crisp, and the bread holds together instead of going soggy or falling apart.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the pan get too hot before adding the bread makes the outside brown very fast while the inside of the slice stays a bit wet and eggy. The bread can look done after a minute, but the center still feels soggy and loose instead of set and custardy.

Soaking the sourdough only for a quick dip leaves the middle of the bread almost dry. In the pan, the surface crisps up, but the inside stays like plain toast instead of soft and rich, and the herbs and cheese mostly sit on the outside.

Pouring the egg mixture into the bowl without whisking it well leaves streaks of egg white and clumps of cheese. On the bread, this turns into rubbery patches of cooked white and random salty spots instead of an even coating.

Using very fresh, super soft bread often leads to slices tearing or breaking once they’re soaked. In the skillet, these broken pieces cook unevenly, with thin parts drying out and thicker parts staying heavy and dense.