Homemade Sourdough French Toast
Sourdough French toast is everything you want in a weekend breakfast – golden, crispy edges, a soft and custardy middle, and that subtle tangy flavor from the sourdough that plays perfectly against sweet maple syrup and warm cinnamon. It’s vegetarian, made with just a handful of pantry staples, and comes together start-to-finish in 12 minutes. Whether you’re feeding the family on a slow Saturday morning or pulling together an easy brunch spread, this one always delivers.
🍞 The Breakfast for Slow Weekend Mornings…
Whether you’re making this for a weekend brunch or a weekday morning, it’s a delicious and beautifully simple breakfast.
This recipe comes together really quickly and is incredibly easy to perfect. It’s a great way to use up bread that is a tad stale and it’s actually a bit preferred! The drier the bread, the better it will soak up the egg custard mix. It’s…
⏰ Ready in 12 Minutes: Prep takes just 2 minutes and the rest happens in the skillet – completely fuss-free.
🍳 Golden & crispy: Butter in a hot pan gives you perfectly crisp, golden-brown edges with a soft, custardy middle every time.
🍓 Totally customizable: Keep it classic with maple syrup or load it up with fresh berries, whipped cream, or cinnamon sugar.
💰 Pantry-friendly: Just eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sourdough – you likely have everything already on hand.
🍞 A genius use for stale bread: Day-old sourdough actually works better here – the drier the slice, the more egg custard it soaks up.
French toast is one of those recipes that makes you want to linger over breakfast – if that’s your thing, homemade brown sugar oatmeal is another cozy morning staple worth having in your rotation. Mini banana muffins are great to batch-bake on the weekend so breakfast is handled all week. And for something savory, creamy scrambled eggs are a quick everyday breakfast that are genuinely worth learning to make well.
Made this with sourdough from the store, delicious! –Ann
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to make sourdough French toast: eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sourdough bread, butter, and fresh toppings.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: Slightly stale sourdough is the secret here — it soaks up the egg custard without falling apart, giving you that perfect custardy interior. If your bread is fresh, leave the slices out for an hour or two before using.
- Variations: Add a pinch of nutmeg to the custard mix, or swap the vanilla extract for almond extract for a slightly different but equally delicious flavor.
- Additions: Fresh berries, whipped cream, whipped honey, or a dusting of powdered sugar all make great toppings. For a heartier plate, add scrambled eggs and bacon or breakfast sausage on the side.
Homemade Sourdough French Toast Recipe
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
Description
This sourdough French toast turns day-old bread into a perfectly crispy dish on the outside and custardy on the inside. Easy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 6 large slices sourdough bread (~11 ounces)
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- for serving: cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, fresh berries
Instructions
- In a shallow baking dish, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until everything is combined.
- Add slices of bread to egg mixture and flip over to coat both sides, dipping for about 5-10 seconds per side, lightly pressing bread into egg mixture.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When butter foams, add bread to the skillet and cook for about 2-4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of bread.
- Serve with butter, maple syrup, cinnamon sugar, and fresh berries as desired.
Notes
Storage: Store leftover French toast in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet or the microwave until warmed through.
Freezer storage: Freeze in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1–2 months. Thaw slightly before reheating in a hot skillet.
Ingredients: Homemade sourdough has the best flavor, but store-bought or bakery sourdough works great – as confirmed by a reviewer who made it exactly that way. Stale bread is genuinely preferred: the drier the slice, the better it absorbs the custard.
Prep ahead: Whisk together the egg custard the night before and store it covered in the fridge. Give it a quick stir before dipping the bread.
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer and founder of My Everyday Table, where she helps busy families take the stress out of weeknight dinners. With a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and almost 20 years of experience, Emily specializes in simple, nourishing recipes and weekly meal plans that actually work for everyday life. She’s a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who believes delicious food and good nutrition go hand in hand.
Get started: Weeknight Dinners Guide | Weekly Meal Plans | About Emily
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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Made this with sourdough from the store, delicious!
Made it with homemade sourdough bread and served it with syrup. Turned out perfect!
It’s the best weekend breakfast!