The Best Sourdough French Toast

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Uses up sourdough: A perfect way to use leftover sourdough bread and a little extra starter, just like my sourdough discard cinnamon swirl bread makes an incredible French toast base.
• Ready in 15 minutes: No baking, no waiting — just whisk, dip, and cook.
• Perfectly golden and custardy: The sourdough's sturdy crumb soaks up the batter without falling apart.
• Great for busy mornings and holidays: Easy enough for a weekday but special enough for a holiday brunch alongside my pumpkin cream cheese cinnamon rolls or chocolate espresso cinnamon rolls.
• Endlessly customizable: Espresso, peanut butter, extra spice, or a creamier batter — make it your own.

Jump to:

• Quick Look: Sourdough Discard French Toast
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
• Easy Substitutions & Variations
• How to Make Sourdough French Toast
• Expert Tips
• What Makes This Recipe Special?
• Sourdough French Toast FAQs
• Sourdough French Toast Troubleshooting Guide
• Storage
• Other Sourdough Discard Recipes to Consider
• Sourdough French Toast

Ingredients

• sourdough bread: Use a good loaf, sliced thick — homemade like my sourdough sandwich bread is ideal. Fresh or slightly stale both work.
• eggs + milk: The custard base that soaks into the bread.
• sourdough starter: A little extra starter (or discard) adds a subtle tang and uses up your jar.
• maple syrup + vanilla + cinnamon: For warm, sweet, cozy flavor.
• salt + butter: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness, and butter gives the pan its golden sear.
• fresh berries (for topping): Because French toast deserves it.

See recipe card for quantities.

Easy Substitutions & Variations

• Milk: Use a high-fat non-dairy milk like full-fat oat, coconut, or almond milk to keep it dairy-free.
• Butter: A plant-based butter works great in the pan.
• Espresso: Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the batter.
• More spice: Add ¼ teaspoon each of cardamom and nutmeg for a festive flavor or try my sourdough pumpkin French toast.
• Peanut butter: Top with peanut butter before the berries and syrup, or whisk 2 tablespoons into the batter.
• Make it sweeter: Add ¼ cup brown sugar to the batter.
• Make it creamier: Use ¾ cup milk and ¼ cup heavy cream instead of 1 cup milk.

How to Make Sourdough French Toast

Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.

Step 1: Heat the pan: Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat and spread it across the pan with a turner.

Step 2: Make the batter: Whisk the eggs, milk, sourdough starter, vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt together in a shallow dish or bowl.

Step 3: Soak and cook: Dip each slice of bread into the batter, letting it soak about 10 seconds per side. Cook in the heated skillet until golden brown, about 2–3 minutes per side. Turn the heat down to medium-low if it's browning too fast.

Step 4: Serve: Enjoy warm with a drizzle of maple syrup, fresh berries, and/or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.

Expert Tips

1. Slice the bread thick. Thick slices soak up the custard without turning soggy or falling apart — one more reason homemade sourdough shines here.
2. Watch your heat. You may need to drop from medium to medium-low as you go so the outsides turn golden without burning before the centers set.
3. Don't over-soak. About 10 seconds per side is plenty for sturdy sourdough — longer and it can get gummy in the middle.
4. Butter between batches. Add a little fresh butter to the pan between rounds for even browning and flavor.
5. Weigh your starter. 100g of starter keeps the batter consistent batch to batch.

What Makes This Recipe Special?

The sourdough is the difference here. Its sturdy, tangy crumb soaks up the custard and crisps beautifully without going to mush, and a little extra starter in the batter deepens that subtle tang. It's the same "use what you have" spirit behind my sourdough chocolate chip muffins and sourdough lemon muffins.

It's also fast and endlessly flexible — 15 minutes start to finish, and easy to dress up for a holiday spread. Serve it with fresh berries, a side of my sourdough discard blueberry muffins or sourdough pumpkin banana muffins, and a batch of pumpkin spice latte breakfast muffins for a full brunch.

Sourdough French Toast FAQs

Sourdough French Toast Troubleshooting Guide

Problem	Cause	Fix
Soggy centers	Bread sliced too thin or over-soaked.	Slice thick and soak about 10 seconds per side.
Burnt outside, raw inside	Heat too high.	Drop to medium-low so the centers set as the outside browns.
Pale, not golden	Pan not hot enough or no butter.	Preheat with butter and let each side cook 2–3 minutes.
Eggy taste	Batter needs balance.	Make sure to include the vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
Falls apart	Bread too soft or fresh-crumbly.	Use a sturdy sourdough loaf, sliced thick.

Storage

• Store leftover French toast refrigerated in an airtight container for 3–5 days.
• Freeze for up to 6 months in a freezer bag — reheat in a toaster or oven to re-crisp.
• Unused batter keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Other Sourdough Discard Recipes to Consider