Top Off the Olympics With Stuffed French Toast
While you don’t need an excuse to make French toast, I still have one for you. The Olympic Games are coming to an end in Paris, and in honor of these sporting champions, I would like to invite you to make a French toast worthy of an Olympian on post-race day. This is not regular French toast, this is stuffed French toast.
What is Stuffed French Toast?
Regular French toast is nothing to sneeze at. You dip thick slices of bread into a creamy, sweet custard (or ice cream ) and fry the enriched bread in a buttery pan. The result is a delicious, caramelized treat that tastes like an express serving of bread pudding.
Stuffed French toast retains the all-important anchor point of custard-soaked bread, but invites you to make it twice as thick and with an unexpected center. All you need is: an unsliced loaf of bread, an egg, some milk or cream and some toppings. Cookie dough happens to be my favorite filling, but you’re only limited by your imagination.
How to Make Stuffed French Toast
1. Cut a double-width slice of bread.
The reason you need an unsliced loaf of bread is because you need to cut a very large slice. Instead of pushing two separate slices of bread together (which will likely fall apart, especially if you have a melty filling), you’ll cut the pocket into a very wide slice.
I used a EuroClassic braided brioche bun that I purchased at my local ShopRite. You can use a loaf of milk bread, challah, or any bread that has integrity, a soft crust, and a relatively firm crumb texture (not too many big holes). Trim the end to expose the crumb, then cut a thick slice about 1.5 to 2 inches wide.
2. Cut the pocket
Using a thin knife, preferably with serrations, cut in the center. Try to get close to the other three sides without cutting through them. You want the fillings to cover as much area as possible without spreading all over the pan.
3. Stuff the bread
You can use any combination of toppings you like. Choose sweet or salty and enjoy. The only caution I can give is not to overdo it. Whether you’re stuffing dumplings, sushi, or stuffing French toast, adding too much is sure to make a mess.
I’ve been restoring my cookie dough this week so I have a rich chocolate chip cookie dough for now. I tried using a knife but ended up just using my finger to poke the raw cookie dough into one of my French toast pieces. I filled the other one with peanut butter and sliced frozen strawberries. You can try sliced bananas and Nutella, raspberry jam and sliced almonds, or jambon and Gruyère.
4. Dip the stuffed bread.
Make the custard by whisking one whole egg, a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream (or vegan cream) and a couple of tablespoons of sugar in a wide bowl. If you’re making savory toast, you can omit the sugar and add a quarter teaspoon of salt.
Briefly dip the stuffed bread into the custard on all six sides. Don’t soak the bread too much, otherwise it may start to fall apart. A couple of seconds on each side is enough.
5. Fry the French toast in a pan.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add enough salted butter to coat the bottom once melted. When the butter begins to bubble, add the stuffed French toast. Cover the pan with a lid. If you don’t have a suitable lid, try an upside-down metal bowl . The bread is thicker than normal bread, so covering the pan with a lid will help cook the custard and warm the filling using 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 avoid burning. You may need to add more butter when you flip the toast. Once ready, cool the stuffed French toast on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.
This recipe is extremely versatile. I’m a big believer that any topping will produce great results, but I have to tell you, the cookie stuffed French toast was absolutely breathtaking. If you like the viscosity of questionably prepared cookie dough, then you should try this. The surrounding custard-soaked bread gave it a texture that I imagine a piece of cookie cake would be like. (If you’re concerned about the safety of raw ingredients, use a thermometer to check the temperature at 160°F, or some packaged brands make “edible cookie dough.”)
This stuffed French toast is best enjoyed any time of year, but will be especially sweet during the closing ceremony this Sunday.
Stuffed French Toast Recipe
Ingredients:
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2 very thick slices of bread
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Sweet or savory fillings (cheese, deli meats, cookie dough, fruit, jams, or nut butters)
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1 egg
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2 tablespoons heavy cream
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2 tablespoons sugar (or ¼ teaspoon salt for savory toast)
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Salted butter for frying pan
1. Cut the center portions of both pieces of bread to create a pocket. Try not to poke through the other three sides.
2. Fill the break pocket with the fillings of your choice.
3. Place the skillet over medium-low heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom.
4. Whisk the egg, cream and sugar (or salt) in a wide bowl. Dip the stuffed bread into the custard until all sides are coated.
5. Fry the French toast in an oil pan with a lid on top. Cook the toast for about 3 minutes on each side. Cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.