Author Notes: French toast isn’t your only option for ‘not so fresh’ bread. This recipe is a favorite in our house! You can use any syrup you have on hand, but if you have a few extra minutes, the homemade syrup is worth the effort. This recipe serves two (with syrup to spare), but you can easily double or triple it. —Pinch&Swirl
Serves: 2
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
-
4
ounces day-old sourdough bread, crusts removed and cut into 1″ cubes
-
1
cup whole milk
-
1
egg
-
1/3
cup white whole wheat flour (or all purpose if you prefer)
-
1
tablespoon natural cane sugar
-
1/4
teaspoon fine sea salt
-
butter for cooking
For the syrup:
-
1/3
cup packed, dark brown sugar
-
2
tablespoons water
-
2
tablespoons butter
-
1
pinch salt
-
1/4
teaspoon real vanilla extract
Directions
For the pancakes:
- Place bread in a medium bowl.
- Combine milk and egg in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over bread and stir gently to coat.
- In another small bowl, combine next four ingredients – flour through salt – and stir to combine. Add to bread mixture and stir. Let stand 15 minutes.
- To make the pancakes; melt 2 teaspoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat until bubbling. Stir batter, then scoop 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bottoms are golden and bubbles start to form on the top – 2 minutes or so. With a thin spatula, carefully flip pancakes. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
- Transfer to serving plates and serve with warm syrup.
For the syrup:
- In the meantime, make the syrup. Add all syrup ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low boil. Boil and stir until sugar has dissolved and syrup coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. (If this cools too much before your pancakes are finished, just reheat it for a minute or two.) When you’re about to eat, transfer syrup to a small pitcher.