Take time to think about what kind of bread you want to use, the thicker and richer the bread the tastier the French toast sticks
- 1 Loaf Challah Bread Brioche, Texas Toast or sandwich bread
- 4 Large Egg Yolks feel free to use the whole egg if you like
- 1 1/3 Cup Whole Milk or use reduced fat milk or up it with Half & Half
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup or substitute powdered sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 Pinches Kosher Salt
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter Melted plus a bit more for the pan
- 3/4 Cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
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If using thick cut bread then cut into 1” X 1” X 5” sticks, if using sandwich bread that is only about ½” thick then keep the slices whole and cut into sticks after drying the bread in the oven. Drying the bread is an optional step, it helps the bread soak up the custard without losing the integrity of the bead. Leave sticks/slices to air dry on your countertop for a couple of hours OR the preferable method is to bake bread on a sheet pan in a 275 degree oven for about 15 minutes, flip each stick/slice over half way through. This step will help keep the French bread sticks from flopping over when you eat them.
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Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Melt butter, then set aside to cool
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Preheat heavy pan or griddle (I use cast iron) over medium heat.
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Using a shallow, wide dish (I use a pie plate) add and whisk egg yolks, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and cooled melted butter.
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In preheated pan or griddle, fry sticks/slices until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. If using the thick sliced bread you will want to fry all four sides. If using the thinner sandwich bread and you haven't dried them in the oven first, then fry the whole slices and cut into thirds once the French toast is cooked, this will help keep the integrity of the French toast sticks.
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Make dipping sauce by mixing vanilla Greek yogurt and maple syrup.
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Sprinkle French toast sticks with powdered sugar and enjoy.
If you are on the go, package the dipping sauce separate from the French toast sticks so that the sticks don’t get soggy.
Freezing: Flash freeze and then bag in resealable plastic bag, freeze up to 6 months.
For reheating the French Toast Sticks from freezer use oven, toaster oven or microwave. The preferred method is the oven or toaster oven.
To reheat in an oven or toaster oven, preheat to 425 degrees. Lay the frozen French Toast Sticks in a single layer and bake for about 8-10 minutes, flipping half way through. The toaster oven may take a few more minutes.
I'm not a lover of reheating frozen bread in the microwave because it often becomes rock hard and at best chewy. If the microwave is your only choice then reheat at 15-30 second increments until the French Toast Sticks are heated through.
Making a Large Batch: If you want to make a large batch of French Toast Sticks you can streamline the cooking and save time by using the oven. Soak the slices and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet (or buttered baking sheet) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, if they haven’t browned then put under the broiler to get a golden outside. But beware, an un-watched broiler means burned French Toast Sticks!