Torrijas are usually flavored with cinnamon and citrus, typically orange, but Milk Street’s version is a nod to another classic Spanish ingredient: sherry. A brief dip in the fortified wine imparts a warm, nutty flavor and mellow sweetness into slices of challah. Each slice is then dunked in an eggy custard—with a surprise crisping agent—before being browned in a pan then finished in the oven.
It’s tender and custardy on the inside while deliciously golden-brown and crisp on the outside, and you’d never know that the elegant slices take a mere half hour to come together. And best of all, the recipe scales easily and front-loads the work, so you can be hands-off once guests arrive and focus on the important stuff.
Buy Sherry You Would Drink
At the very least, don’t buy cooking sherry. Sure, it’s more affordable than drinking sherries—and what you’re more likely to find if you’re browsing grocery store aisles—but cooking sherry is preserved with sodium, which gives it a saltier taste I find better-suited for savory cooking (and I don’t want my French toast to be salty). Pick something labeled “dry;” it will still be sweet, but more mellow than regular or cream sherry.
Don’t Use Stale Bread
Most French toast casseroles call for stale or day-old bread to soak up more of the eggy custard; not so here. Since each slice of bread is first soaked in a sherry-orange juice combo and then dipped in an egg-based mixture, it’s important to use fresher bread that won’t take on too much of either liquid. Bread that’s dry or stale will keep soaking up liquid and fall apart.
No Dairy Needed; Use Flour Instead
Here’s what surprised me most about making this: I’d never seen a French toast recipe that doesn’t call for milk or cream in the egg custard. I have nothing against dairy, but I do find that if I’m making a baked French toast for several people, I’m usually whisking pints of cream into over a dozen eggs to saturate the bread, which feels a little extravagant.
Here, eggs are beaten with all-purpose flour and sugar until smooth and paste-like. You dip each slice of bread into this thick mixture until coated, and the flour helps the exterior crisp and brown without any delicate dairy sugars burning. And you need much less of this egg mixture, since it’s a quick second dunk after the sherry.
Temp Your Oil
Each slice of bread is briefly pan-fried and browned before going into the oven to finish cooking. Our recipe gives you a target temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Why does oil temperature matter for frying? Oil that’s too hot will brown or singe the exterior of a food too quickly while leaving the inside uncooked; oil that’s too cold will be absorbed by food, so you end up with heavy, oily grease bombs instead of light, crisp results.
Scale It Easily for Guests
This scales up or down pretty easily for whatever size celebration you’re hosting. Because each slice is only pan-fried for a couple of moments before finishing in the oven, you can brown your slices ahead of time and then finish everything all together right before serving, so you aren’t stuck making individual plates à la minute. (Can we just ban anything that has to made to order from brunch, please?)
Skip the Syrup
Between the sherry and the sugar, the torrijas are plenty sweet already. Finish the dish with a pile of tart fresh berries or a swoop of our Tangy Whipped Cream; the tangy sour cream will balance things out.
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