The solution: more butter.Д«y cooking with more butter in the pan, the heat is more evenly distributed across the surface of the pan. This resulted in unevenly cooked bread, particularly if we were trying to cook two slices at once. Most camp stoves have relatively small burners and we found we were getting a hot spot right in the middle. Using a well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick pan, youвЂ™ll want to cook your French toast over medium heat. In fact, if you sprinkle a little extra sugar on the outside of your bread after you dip it into the mixture, you can get a spectacular golden brown finish on your toast. Not only does the egg-milk-sugar mixture soak into the bread and sweeten it from within, but it produces a crispy caramelized layer on the outside. SugarДЄdding vanilla extract, cinnamon, and even a little nutmeg are all good ideas for French Toast, but one critical step we had been leaving out was to add sugar to the mixture. You want it to be moist throughout, but not totally saturated.ДЇor stale bread, soak the bread slices for up to 20-30 seconds.

The DipДЇor fresh bread, we found that a 10-second dip on both sides soaked up just the right amount of egg mixture. Anything more and youвЂ™re making a Croque Monsieur. Anything less and the mixture is too thin. This gave us wildly inconsistent results.Д«ut after a few kitchen tests, weвЂ™ve concluded that 3 eggs to 1 cup of milk is the ideal ratio. It really depended on how many eggs we had on hand. Previously, weвЂ™ve played fast and loose with this ratio. Rustic French loaf, a baguette, or even a pumpernickel will all work as well (although the visual presentation will look different). It is easy to find a whole loaf at most grocery stores and it adds a distinct tangy flavor that pairs nicely with the overall sweetness of the dish. Most styles of bread will work, but we often go with sourdough. If you prefer firmer centers, then a day or two old loaves of bread will be best. If you like your French toast to have a rich, custard-like center, then use a fresh loaf of bread. You will be able to soak up more of the egg-milk mixture, giving you more time to crisp the outsides without overcooking the insides. We recommend picking up a loaf of your favorite bread and cutting it into generous 3/4вЂі-1вЂќ thick slices. Pre-sliced sandwich bread is just too thin, cook through too quickly, and often results in rubbery French toast. 'A piece of regular sliced bread is a quick dip,' says Miller, while thick-cut breads will take longer, up to a minute or more if they're stale.The single best way to achieve exceptional French toast at a campsite (or anywhere for that matter) is to use whole loaf bread and slice it yourself. Also take into account the thickness of the bread slices. 'The denser the bread, the longer the soak,' says Miller. Quick tip: For French toast with the perfect texture, adjust your soak time according to the texture of your bread. Regardless, soak just long enough to saturate each side - over-soaking may cause the bread to fall apart in the pan. If you like your French toast to have a bit more bite, use fresh bread and simply dip in the egg mixture. For an extra custardy texture, use stale bread and soak for several seconds on each side. While the bread is soft, the thick slices help it hold up in the pan. 'This makes it perfect for soaking up the egg mixture,' says Miller. You'll find it in perfectly rectangular wrapped loaves or with a shiny domed top, and the slices tend to be thick with a tender crust and airy interior. Often called Japanese or Hokkaido milk bread, milk bread is made using a milk and flour roux called tangzhong, giving it a feather-light but sturdy texture. Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and bake in a 250-degree-Fahrenheit oven for around 30 minutes, or just until it feels dry to the touch but not hard like a crouton. If you only have fresh bread on hand and would like to start with stale bread, let the bread sit out overnight or, for a quick fix, dry slices out in a low temperature oven to remove moisture. Sturdier breads like slices of baguette tend to hold their shape well, so you can use very stale pieces and soak them for several minutes before cooking, or until well-saturated and tenderized. To avoid French toast that falls apart in the pan, use bread that is just slightly stale. Delicate breads like sliced white bread don't hold their shape well with extended soaking no matter how stale they are. Keep in mind that the more stale your bread is, the longer you'll need to soak it. The more batter the bread soaks up, the more custardy the interior will be. 'Any bread just past freshness has depleted moisture levels allowing for prime saturation in the cinnamon-y egg batter,' says Miller.

Bread for french toast