Ingredients

  • 4 slices good quality sandwich bread or challah, cut 1/2-inch thick
  • 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to 90-ish degrees
  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 t vanilla extract
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (for skillet)
  • jam or jelly for serving

Method

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Place bread on wire rack set on baking sheet. Bake bread until almost dry (the bread should still have a little "give" when pressed lightly), about 20 minutes, flipping slices after 10 minutes. Remove bread from rack and let cool 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Combine milk, yolks, sugar, melted butter, salt, and vanilla in large bowl and whisk until well blended. Transfer mixture to a pie plate or other flat-bottomed dish.
  • Make peanut butter sandwiches by spreading 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons peanut butter per sandwich. Do not use jam or jelly at this point as it tends to make the final dish too soggy.
  • Soak first sandwich in milk mixture until saturated about 30 to 35 seconds per side. Using slotted spatula, pick up sandwich and allow excess milk mixture to drain; repeat with second sandwich. Set sandwiches aside on a clean pan or plate.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. When foaming subsides, use slotted spatula to transfer sandwiches to skillet and cook until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes per side. (If sandwiches are cooking too quickly, reduce temperature slightly.) Serve immediately with a large dollop of jam or jelly on top.
  • Cooks Note: If you want to double or triple the recipe, either cook the french toast on a griddle pan or electric griddle or keep warm on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan in a 200° oven if cooked in batches.