Toast Bread

French toast is mostly bread, so the kind of bread you use is important. Challah or egg bread is made with eggs and butter and will give you gorgeous creamy insides. This is my go-to bread for French toast. Tightly crumbed, country-style breads are nice, too, and will give you a sturdier, less creamy French toast. Classic French baguettes sliced on the diagonal make a nice, chewy version.

Just avoid generic white sandwich bread and rustic breads with large holes and thick crusts if at all possible. The rustic bread just won't hold the custard and the generic bread is too soft and characterless.

I like to purchase a loaf that is not pre-sliced so I can have control over how thick my slices are. I usually like at least a one-inch-thick slice, which helps keep the bread from becoming too soggy while promoting a nice, creamy interior. 

Ideally it should be slightly stale, as fresh bread will often end up with a limp texture. Rich breads like challah and egg bread can be left out with the wrapper open the night before, but country breads are better if kept packaged. Bottom line: It's not the end of the world if your bread is fresh, but a slightly stale loaf is preferable.

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Toast Bread

French toast is mostly bread, so the kind of bread you use is important. Challah or egg bread is made with eggs and butter and will give you gorgeous creamy insides. This is my go-to bread for French toast. Tightly crumbed, country-style breads are nice, too, and will give you a sturdier, less creamy French toast. Classic French baguettes sliced on the diagonal make a nice, chewy version.

Just avoid generic white sandwich bread and rustic breads with large holes and thick crusts if at all possible. The rustic bread just won't hold the custard and the generic bread is too soft and characterless.

I like to purchase a loaf that is not pre-sliced so I can have control over how thick my slices are. I usually like at least a one-inch-thick slice, which helps keep the bread from becoming too soggy while promoting a nice, creamy interior. Ideally it should be slightly stale, as fresh bread will often end up with a limp texture. 

Rich breads like challah and egg bread can be left out with the wrapper open the night before, but country breads are better if kept packaged. Bottom line: It's not the end of the world if your bread is fresh, but a slightly stale loaf is preferable.

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Coffee

Arabica 

The coffee plant is an evergreen shrub, classified under the genus Coffea, and part of the botanical family Rubiaceae. There are several species of Coffea, the finest quality being Arabica, which today represents 59% of the world’s coffee production. Arabica originated in the highlands of Ethiopia. It is sensitive to hot and humid conditions, and grows at altitudes of 1.25-1.55 miles. Arabica grown at higher altitudes is associated with the emergence of higher quality characteristics during roasting.

The coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee plant, found inside a red fruit often called the cherry. Each cherry contains two seeds (beans) surrounded by a membrane called the parchment, and a layer of sweet pulp. Arabica beans are fairly flat and elongated, with a sinuous groove.

Genetically Arabica is the only species with 44 chromosomes of Coffea. Chemically, Arabica’s caffeine content varies from 0.9 to 1.7% of each bean’s volume.




Robusta

Robusta fosters use mono-cropping, the practice of growing the same plant every year in one place. It yields more space since it involves clear-cutting the forest for the crop. Because Robusta is more a resilient plant than the delicate Arabica, it can be grown in more places. 

Large coffee companies buy huge amounts of rainforest, clear-cut the land and plant Robusta beans. Robusta is often mixed with Arabica, allowing the coffee companies to save a pretty penny and serve you a crappy cup. Not to mention, mono-cropping, when done excessively, also erodes soil and demolishes nutrients making the soil nearly unusable.

Robusta has a neutral to harsh taste range and is often likened to having an “oatmeal-like” taste. When unroasted, the smell of Robusta beans is described as raw-peanutty.

Arabicas, on the other hand, have a very wide taste range (depending on its varietal). The range differs from sweet-soft to sharp-tangy. When unroasted, Arabica beans smell like blueberries. Their roasted smell is described as perfumey with notes of fruit and sugar tones.

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Delicious Toast Bread in the Town!

French toast is mostly bread, so the kind of bread you use is important. Challah or egg bread is made with eggs and butter and will give you gorgeous creamy insides. This is my go-to bread for French toast. Tightly crumbed, country-style breads are nice, too, and will give you a sturdier, less creamy French toast. Classic French baguettes sliced on the diagonal make a nice, chewy version.

Just avoid generic white sandwich bread and rustic breads with large holes and thick crusts if at all possible. The rustic bread just won't hold the custard and the generic bread is too soft and characterless.

I like to purchase a loaf that is not pre-sliced so I can have control over how thick my slices are. I usually like at least a one-inch-thick slice, which helps keep the bread from becoming too soggy while promoting a nice, creamy interior. 

Ideally it should be slightly stale, as fresh bread will often end up with a limp texture. Rich breads like challah and egg bread can be left out with the wrapper open the night before, but country breads are better if kept packaged. Bottom line: It's not the end of the world if your bread is fresh, but a slightly stale loaf is preferable.

Read More