Crisp on the outside, gooey in the centre – French toast, eggy bread or pain perdu, as it's also called, is a quick and easy recipe to make. There's almost no end to the variations you can create, whether you prefer sweet or savoury. It's an indulgent breakfast or brunch, with the base simply comprising of thickly sliced stale bread, soaked in eggs and milk, and fried in butter. Read on to find some new favourites.

The French would traditionally make their 'pain perdu' (literally 'lost bread' but in other words, stale bread), with buttery, leftover brioche. For four thick slices of brioche, whisk together four eggs with 6tbsp milk. Add a little sugar if you like, and some ground cinnamon or nutmeg. Soak the brioche slices for a few minutes each side, before frying in a hot pan in a teaspoon of butter until browned. It's better to do in two batches, to keep the pan hot and to ensure a crisp outer crust.

Any slices of leftover baguette also work really well for French toast because it's a sturdy bread, especially if a little stale. The amount of time taken to soak it depends upon the thickness of the slice. Leave it for as long as it needs to soak up the liquid, which for baguettes could be five minutes each side. Just be careful the slices don't become too soggy.

French toast works best with a thick, dense slice of bread, so sourdough is perfect, especially if you're making a savoury version of French toast. But any country-style coarse loaf will do the job too. One slice of sourdough is nearly double the size of brioche or baguette, so cut them in half to make the frying easier.

For a richer, more indulgent recipe, use just egg yolks with equal quantities of double cream and milk. Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or nutmeg, or a splash of vanilla extract, plus a little sugar. Once you've soaked the bread, sprinkle sugar over the outside before frying in butter to achieve a crisp exterior. Keep an eye on it though, or it can catch and burn.

Instead of adding sugar and spice to your egg mixture, make a simple French toast by adding a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan or Cheddar with a teaspoon of dried mustard powder. Once the toast is crisp, sprinkle over a little extra grated cheese to serve.

For something warming in winter, eggnog French toast is a winner. Make a sweet egg mixture then pour in a generous glug or two of eggnog or rum, if you like. Whisk it all together, before soaking the bread then cooking.

The amount of time needed to soak the bread in the egg mixture depends on the thickness and density of the bread, as well as how stale it is. Up to 15 minutes is usually fine, even for thick stale bread. What you don't want is for the bread to disintegrate and be too soggy, as it'll be impossible to cook without it all falling apart. So err on the side of caution if you're not following a recipe.

Butter is the traditional fat used for frying French toast because of the flavour it adds. But you could use sunflower or olive oil for a savoury version. Otherwise, ghee or clarified butter works with its low-burn point. You need the fat to be hot enough to seal the bread and become crisp, but not so hot that the butter burns as it will give a bitter taste.

French toast is always fried. Heat some fat in a frying pan until it’s hot (too cool and the mix won’t set immediately and will run out) then cook on a steady heat for a few minutes each side, flipping when the toast starts turning golden brown. Too fierce a heat and the toast will burn before it’s cooked through; too low a heat and the result is pale and insipid. Avoid over-filling the pan as this will lower the temperature and affect the browning process.

If you're preparing a large batch of French toast for a weekend brunch, you can keep it warm, wrapped in foil in the oven at 180°C/360°F/gas mark 4. It doesn't keep too well for long, but you'll be safe to leave it there for 15 minutes while you get everything cooked.

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French toast can be frozen for a later date. Cook it first then allow to cool on a wire rack, wrap each individual slice in greaseproof paper and cover the batch in foil. Freeze and eat within a month. To reheat, unwrap the frozen toast, cover in foil and bake in an oven heated to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for around 10 minutes.

If you love a savoury combination, fried eggs and chilli on French toast make a great weekend brunch dish. Whisk the eggs and milk together with plenty of salt and pepper. Fry your bread as normal, then spread chilli sauce or sriracha over the top before adding a fried egg or two.

If you fancy a lighter, lower-sugar French toast, this recipe uses low-sugar strawberry jam and the egg mixture is infused with cinnamon. Served with a fat-free yogurt laced with orange, you still get that indulgent feeling.

Get the recipe for French toast with strawberry jam here

Everyone loves the breakfast combination of pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, so why not try it on French toast? There's no need to add sugar or seasoning to the egg mixture. Just top the French toast with crisp smoked bacon rashers and drizzle over the maple syrup.

Similar to a croque monsieur, but the monte cristo sandwich is made like a French toast. This moreish snack is a ham and cheese sandwich dipped in an egg, milk and seasoned mixture, then fried. Make sure to press down on the sandwich before dipping – this makes it more dense and stops the egg seeping into the sandwich. Instead, it just coats it. Use a sturdy cheese which melts well – slices of cheese used for burgers work brilliantly.

A simple French toast can be made into a sandwich before frying, and filling it with bananas and chocolate hazelnut spread makes a pretty fine breakfast. Flavoured with cinnamon, it's a quick dish which is on the table in 10 minutes.

Get the recipe for banana and chocolate French toast here

When peaches are in season, they make a fab topping for French toast. In fact, if you're stuck with the odd under-ripe one, even better. Slice the peaches and fry in a little butter until soft with a few walnuts or pecans, then add caramel sauce. Mix together and top your toast as soon as it's cooked.

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Try cutting thick slices of stale bread into sticks before soaking them in the egg and milk mixture and frying, to make a sharing plate. Serve with a dipping bowl of maple syrup. Or make a cheesy savoury egg mixture and dip into mayonnaise or creamy mustard sauce.

Use this fantastic cheese sandwich recipe but make your slices of bread eggy before frying. This is a serious grilled cheese upgrade, with a homemade mint and coriander chutney, and a great kick of chilli. 

Get the recipe for grilled cheese and chutney sandwich here

For a lighter French toast sandwich, beat ricotta with a little icing sugar and add blueberries. Sandwich together before dipping in the egg mixture and frying. Drizzle with honey before serving.

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The classic and original French toast is still hard to beat. Take four thick slices of brioche. Mix together two eggs, 4tbsp milk with 2tsp ground cinnamon and 1tsp sugar. Soak the brioche for two minutes a side in the egg mixture, before frying in butter on each side until crisp. Serve with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

For a really filling start to the day and a breakfast that will keep you going until lunchtime, top your French toast with sliced bananas and a selection of nuts. This is a high-carb meal which is also rich in protein. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of honey before serving.

Torrijas are the Spanish version of French toast, traditionally eaten at Easter time. They are a little different in the preparation. First milk is heated, orange and lemon zest are added, then the mixture is left to infuse. The bread is dipped in this milk, then into beaten egg before being fried in olive oil.

This one is sure to become a massive favourite if you love peanut butter. Spread the bread with peanut butter, then add slices of bananas or spread over some strawberry jam, and make a sandwich. Dip in the egg mixture and fry until crisp. Crunchy peanut butter works best.

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Apples are fried in butter and sugar, and laced with Calvados (apple brandy, though you can use any brandy) to top French toast and turn it into a decadent dessert. Served with whipped cream, it's a great 20-minute, grown-up sweet treat.

Get the recipe for French toast with apples and Calvados here

This recipe could be your new weekend breakfast addiction! Crumpets, instead of bread, are given the French toast treatment, with little pieces of crisp bacon and Parmesan in the egg mixture. The crumpets are fried in the bacon fat and served with extra cheese.

Get the recipe for French toast-style bacon crumpets here

If your weekend brunch calls for comfort food, try this easy idea. Make your French toast as per usual, adding a good spoonful of cinnamon. Then once cooked, pile over fresh or thawed frozen blueberries and drizzle over maple syrup and melted white chocolate. Use dark chocolate if you prefer.

There's no need for vegans to miss out on French toast. For three slices of bread, mix together 2tsp sugar, 1tbsp rice flour or gram flour, 1tbsp ground almonds with 100ml (3.5fl oz) plant-based milk such as oat milk. Add a dash of vanilla and 1tsp ground cinnamon. Dip the bread slices in and cook in sunflower oil.

Find more of our best quick and easy vegan recipes here