This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The chunky cinnamon French toast served at Kneaders Bakery and Cafe hasn't reached the all-star status of fry sauce, Jell-O or funeral potatoes, but the sweet, carb-loaded breakfast is a solid member of Utah's signature food lineup.
On Saturday mornings, Utah families, some with kids still in their pajamas, flock to the bakeries (there are 21 locations in Utah) for a plate of the eggy bread. There are often long lines to order and few places to sit between 7 and 11 a.m., when the dish is served.
French toast also is a Mother's Day tradition at Kneaders. On the Saturday before the holiday — Mother's Day this year is Sunday, May 8 — all moms get a free plate of French toast when joined by a paying offspring. (Most Kneaders locations are closed on Sunday.)
The French toast "is literally heaven," says Elyse Adamson, who writes the Six Sisters' Stuff blog and cookbooks with her five siblings. She says her husband is especially obsessed with the dish, so a few years ago she created a copycat version to make at home for special occasions. (See recipe.)
Ashton Swank's roommates introduced her to Kneaders French toast during her first semester at Brigham Young University. "They said it was amazing and that I couldn't go another day without trying this incredible, life-changing French toast," said Swank, author of the Something Swanky blog and "Party Popcorn" cookbook.
She especially loves the thickness of the dish. "When you bite into a piece of Kneaders French toast, you're really biting into something."
Some fans say it's the thick slices of Kneaders' chunky cinnamon bread that make the French toast unique; others believe it's the warm caramel syrup drizzled on top that makes it stand out.
No matter who is right, the Utah-based company sold more than 658,000 servings of French toast in 2015, said CEO James Worthington. "On a typical Saturday, our stores will easily go through a 100 loaves of the cinnamon bread."
Worthington, the son of Colleen and Gary Worthington, who founded Kneaders in 1997, can take some of the credit for the French toast phenomenon. Years ago, as a freshman at BYU, James Worthington used to make French toast as a way to impress the female students.
Every Friday before closing time, Worthington — now 35 —would stop by his parents' original store in Orem to pick up the day-old loaves of chunky cinnamon bread. Then he'd persuade one of the female residents living in BYU's Heritage Hall, to let him and his roommates borrow their stove to make Saturday morning French toast. (At the time, Worthington lived in the dorm-style Deseret Towers, which didn't have kitchens — and has since been torn down.)
"The recipe was pretty basic back then. Just eggs and milk," remembers Worthington. "But people seemed to really like it."
At the time, Kneaders had a few breakfast items, and Worthington told his mother to consider adding French toast to the menu. He soon went on a two-year mission for the LDS Church and never thought about his suggestion.
By the time he returned, Kneaders was "selling French toast like crazy," he said.
His parents had refined their son's original recipe for commercial use and made it a part of the regular breakfast menu for about $6. The two slices of French toast are served with the caramel syrup and a side of whipped cream and strawberries. While it is available in all 47 Kneaders stores in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and Texas, the French toast is especially popular in Utah, said Colleen Worthington.
Initially the stores could use just the day-old chunky cinnamon bread for the French toast, she said. But now it's so popular, fresh bread has to be made every day to keep up with demand.
While the recipes for the chunky cinnamon bread and the French toast are proprietary, the founder did reveal one trade secret. She said Kneaders' chunky cinnamon bread differs from others because the dough is rolled out, spread with a mix of cinnamon and sugar and then cut into pieces or "chunks" before being put into baking pans for proofing. "It's a lot like tear-apart bread," she said. "And it makes a huge mess in the kitchen."
kathys@sltrib.com
—
Chunky cinnamon French toast with caramel syrup
French Toast:
1 loaf Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon Bread, cut into 8 slices
8 eggs
3 cups milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
Caramel syrup:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup corn syrup
Toppings:
Whipped cream
Sliced strawberries
For French toast, heat an electric griddle to 375 degrees. In a shallow baking dish, mix eggs, milk, brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Melt butter evenly across griddle. Dip each slice of bread into egg mixture and coat completely on each side. Place coated bread on hot griddle and turn until lightly browned on each side.
Serve with caramel syrup, whipped cream and sliced strawberries
For syrup, combine all syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and sugar has completely dissolved. Serve warm over French toast.
Servings • 4-6
Source: sixsistersstuff.com
—
Kneaders overnight French toast
1 loaf Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon bread, sliced into eight pieces
8 eggs
3 cups milk
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
Generously butter a 9-x-13-inch glass baking dish. (Set the end aside.) Place bread in baking dish.
Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl until completely blended. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cut butter into small pieces and sprinkle over bread.
Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve immediately, or wrap well and freeze up to three months.
Servings • 6 to 8
Source: Kneaders Bakery and Cafe —
Chunky cinnamon French toast with caramel syrup
French Toast
1 loaf Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon Bread, cut into 8 slices
8 eggs
3 cups milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
Caramel syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup corn syrup
Toppings
Whipped cream
Sliced strawberries
For French toast, heat an electric griddle to 375 degrees. In a shallow baking dish, mix eggs, milk, brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Melt butter evenly across griddle. Dip each slice of bread into egg mixture and coat completely on each side. Place coated bread on hot griddle and turn until lightly browned on each side.
Serve with caramel syrup, whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
For syrup, combine all syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and sugar has completely dissolved. Serve warm over French toast.
Servings • 4-6
Source: sixsistersstuff.com
—
Kneaders overnight French toast
1 loaf Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon Bread, sliced into eight pieces
8 eggs
3 cups milk
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
Generously butter a 9-x-13-inch glass baking dish. (Set the end aside.) Place bread in baking dish.
Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl until completely blended. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cut butter into small pieces and sprinkle over bread.
Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve immediately, or wrap well and freeze up to three months.
Servings • 6 to 8
Source: Kneaders Bakery and Cafe