Why You Need To Thickly Slice Bread For Copycat Raising Cane's Texas Toast
There's a lot of competition in the world of fast food fried chicken, but Raising Cane's chicken fingers have no doubt earned their share of dedicated fans. Outside of the chicken itself, one of the chain's most beloved offerings is its intensely flavorful, thick-cut Texas toast that it serves with many meals. It's an ideal pairing that combines incredible taste with a perfectly crispy-chewy texture. If you want to enjoy that same experience at home, you'll be delighted to learn that it's relatively easy — if you slice your bread correctly.
When making her copycat Raising Cane's Texas toast recipe, Mashed recipe developer Miriam Hahn says thickly sliced bread is critical for creating the ideal texture: a crunchy, moderately toasted exterior with a soft, chewy, flavorful center. Additionally, the slices' thickness is perfect for soaking up as much of the butter and garlic salt flavors as possible. Hahn determined that the ideal thickness for each slice of Texas toast is roughly 1½ inches.
Finding the perfectly cut slice
Miriam Hahn's recommended slices are far thicker than most commercially produced bread, so keep your eyes peeled for loaves made specifically for Texas toast or that are otherwise thick-cut. Many higher-end grocery stores and bakeries also sell unsliced loaves. Since the bread is the heart of this recipe, it's worth springing for the highest-quality loaf you can find.
Alternatively, Hahn says you can try baking your own loaf of pillowy-soft milk bread. While this may not be the precise style used by Raising Cane's, baking bread from scratch is a great way to cut your slices to whatever thickness you need.
Once you've mastered the correct cut, the rest of the recipe is a breeze. Though this Texas toast naturally pairs well with any homemade (or store-bought) fried chicken, you shouldn't limit yourself to just Raising Cane's fare. Hahn says, "This is great with so many things. I like it with pasta, soup or salad." Keep this simple slicing tip in mind, and you'll get perfectly thick Texas toast every time.