Sourdough French Toast

French toast is the ultimate in simple, luxury breakfasts. There’s something special about thick slices of bread soaked in an eggy mixture flavoured with nutmeg and lemon. Add sourdough to the recipe for a little depth of flavour and  you’ve got a meal that will really get your day off to the perfect start.

There’s no doubt that stale bread is the key to making cracking French toast. However, what type of stale bread is often debated. From soft white, to enriched doughs like brioche everyone seems to have a favourite. Mine is sourdough.

Renowned for its pockets of air, sourdough has plenty of space for an eggy mixture to penetrate. This characteristic makes for a very consistently flavoursome French toast, still soft in the middle and slightly crispy on the outside.

French toast is, of course, a scrumptious breakfast even with no added flavourings. Adding the punchy zest of a lemon and delicate spice of freshly grated nutmeg, however, tips it over the edge. The flavours are subtle, but really make the difference.

If sourdough is your thing, but you’d rather have pancakes, my recipe for sourdough pancakes would make a great breakfast alternative. On top of that, it’s a lovely way to use up any discarded starter.

Sourdough French Toast

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 2-3 thick slices of sourdough bread

• 2 eggs

• 50ml whole milk

• A pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated

• Zest of ½ a lemon

• 20g butter

• 2 tbsp golden/maple syrup

Method:

1. Gently whisk together the egg, milk, nutmeg and lemon zest. Heat the butter in a thick-based frying pan.

2. Take your bread – around 2cm thick – and press both sides into the custard mixture. Cook each side of the eggy bread in the butter until golden brown.

3. Serve with a drizzle of golden or maple syrup and a strong, dark coffee.

Cost: Though more expensive than the bread you find in supermarkets, a large loaf of sourdough is certainly a worthy investment at around £2.80. French toast may be quite a luxurious breakfast, but appearances can be deceptive… This breakfast for 2-3 people should set you back no more than £1.20.