The Easy Swap For Savory French Toast

Sometimes lazy weekend mornings call for more filling dishes to satisfying growling stomachs, and as delicious as classic French toast recipes might be, the sweet combination of eggy bread with sprinklings of cinnamon may not sit right with everyone seated at the brunch table. Thankfully, a savory substitute exists that swaps sweeter ingredients for flavors that can help satisfy savory breakfast cravings.

Since Roman times, bread has been dunked into egg and milk mixtures, fried, and enjoyed alongside sweet drizzles of honey. Stepping away from traditional recipes, cooks have added pumpkin and cured duck eggs to plates of the chewy bread. While milk is a key component of the batter pieces of bread are dunked into, the kind of bread you use to make French toast can equally impact the dish's final taste. From reaching for leftover slices of panettone to dipping milk bread into custard flavored with vanilla, the variety of French toast recipes are limited only by the chef's imagination. We have another option for you to try.

To turn down the sweeter elements found in traditional French toast recipes, reach for bread that is more savory to taste. Olive bread, garlic ciabatta loaves, rosemary, and even zucchini bread all lend savory flavors to French toast. If you don't have these kind of breads in your kitchen, make do with the kind of bread you can find: sourdough, wheat, or a gluten-free option can all work. Then, add spices and herbs to your eggy milk batter to replicate the savory experience. While typical recipes call for cinnamon, vanilla, and honey, reach instead for garlic salt, oregano, or chives to make an equally satisfying dish to serve. 

Before serving, provide guests their choice of toppings by offering an array of sweet and savory options. Instead of drizzling the warm toast with honey or maple syrup, olive oil, fig balsamic, and pieces of crunchy sea salt can help convert breakfast skeptics into fans. Departing from known recipes can seem a bit risky, especially when you have hungry, groggy guests to feed, but presenting savory French toast can result in major morning pay-offs.