The Secret To Martha Stewart's French Toast Isn't In The Recipe

Martha Stewart has been a hard-charging entrepreneur for decades, so she starts her morning with a hearty breakfast routine to help her power through the day. Still, as she's the queen of intricate homemaking and kitchen tips, it's only natural she'd have a personal spin on the more decadent breakfast entry of French toast. However, the secret to this breakfast delight might not lie within the recipe itself.

When making her French toast, Stewart tends to use a boatload of cooking oil, coating the bottom of the skillet or griddle. She posted a video on her Instagram, showing homemade French toast sizzling in a pan without getting bogged down. Rather than resulting in a soggy slice, this technique gave the bread a firm crust.

Some folks might be scratching their heads trying to figure out why she'd use so much oil, but it's actually kind of genius. If we're following the rules of fried food — a combination of batter and hot oil — French toast works well with this method. The bread is soaked in an egg and heavy cream mixture before being tossed in piping-hot oil. This shallow-frying method crisps the bottom of the toast, making it crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

You can upgrade your French toast at home by taking a page out of Martha Stewart's book or, rather, one of her several published cookbooks. While some chefs just use butter to go for a softer toast, Stewart uses vegetable oil, which has a high smoke point and neutral taste meant for baking and frying. It's important that the oil is able to reach the point of bubbling. To test if it's hot enough, you can flick a drop of batter into the oil and see if it makes a sizzle.

The best French toast bread for this shallow-frying method is going to be brioche or bread of similar rich taste and integrity. Brioche is buttery, sweet, and thick enough to absorb the batter and withstand the simmering oil bath. Another way Stewart upgrades her brioche toast is by adding orange zest and liqueur to the batter, but there's no need to be stingy with boozy infusions. Top off your mildly fried French toast with whiskey maple syrup for the ultimate cozy breakfast.