The Unique Bread You Should Use For French Toast Is So Obvious Once You Realize It

Banana bread is the perfect dish to make when you have a bunch of bananas that are on the brink of going bad, but what do you do when that banana bread then starts to get a tad dry or stale? The answer is both surprising and obvious: Turn it into French toast. The dryness helps it absorb more eggy goodness, and the stale edges transform into buttery, crispy perfection.

Despite its name, however, banana bread is closer to a cake than an actual bread. There's no yeast or kneading involved, and it has a much denser texture than bread. It won't absorb the egg mixture as well as normal bread either, which is why it's a good idea to use an older batch rather than a freshly baked loaf. This is important because it changes the texture of the finished dish — you're after a custardy interior, not egg-coated slices.

As long as you account for the heavier nature of the banana bread, however, there's no way you won't enjoy this twist on the classic recipe. You can finish it off with any traditional French toast toppings, from fresh fruit to syrup to hazelnut cocoa spread. There's also no such thing as too much banana, so you can pile on some fresh or caramelized bananas if that's your style.

The secret to better banana bread lies in the star ingredient being extra ripe – Ripe bananas with black spots on the skin have much more flavor than fully yellow or green bananas because more of the starches have converted into sugars. Completely plain banana bread will work well for this recipe since you'll add toppings later, but you can also incorporate some mix-ins if you like. Chocolate chips and walnuts are popular, but there are also secret ingredients you can try out, like adding a splash of orange juice.

If you want to try out this recipe, you'll have to make a loaf of banana bread, leave it for a day or two, and then make French toast with it. You'll need some patience, though you can leave slices out uncovered on a wire rack to help them stale faster.

Once your banana bread is ready to be transformed, you can treat it just like a normal slice of bread. Mix a little sugar, milk, and cinnamon into your egg mixture and soak the bread — a longer soaking time of about 10 minutes will ensure the slices are fully saturated. Your pan should be on medium-low heat, and butter will make the most delectable French toast. Remember that slower cooking is better. It will take a while for it to brown, but in return, the egg mixture will cook nice and evenly.