Your Ticket To Fluffier French Toast Is Already In Your Pantry - Tasting Table

"French toast is a fan favorite that has countless delicious variations. But, before you make a mascarpone filling or a glazed fruit topping, you need to perfect the basic recipe. French toast is, essentially, slices of bread dunked in a milk, egg, and spice batter. While this sounds simple enough, there's a secret ingredient to ensure the perfect texture: flour. Despite its absence in many classic French toast recipes, flour is truly miraculous for both the consistency and structural integrity of the final product."

"In addition to being the base for many baked goods, flour is both a binding and thickening agent. It will thus transform a custard into more of a liquid batter, which effectively prevents soggy bread because it won't get oversaturated. As a binding agent, flour helps unite the milk and eggs together to form a more uniform coating for the bread. A flour-thickened batter will also create a thick layer around the bread, thereby ensuring it won't fall apart in the frying pan."

French toast consists of bread slices soaked in a batter of milk, eggs, and spices. Adding flour provides binding and thickening, transforming a custard into a more viscous batter that prevents oversaturation and sogginess. Flour unites milk and eggs for a uniform coating and builds a protective layer that keeps bread from falling apart during frying. Flour also promotes a crisp exterior while preserving a tender, fluffy interior. A suggested ratio is about 1/4 cup flour per cup of milk with two eggs. Stale, crusty sourdough is recommended for its tang and dense texture; brioche or challah are rich alternatives.

Read at Tasting Table