Silky, sweet, and packed full of flavors, brioche French toast casserole, makes a gourmet and hearty breakfast. So, why not spoil yourself and your loved ones this weekend?
Casserole de pain perdu brioché is how it is called in French. It is a staple of French family breakfast, and it is an anti-wasted recipe.
Initially, French toast casserole was a dessert that used leftover stale brioche.
Nowadays, it is made with fresh bread quickly staled using the oven.
If you wonder if there is a difference between French toast casserole and bread pudding, the answer is no.
They both feature stale pieces of bread soaked in the egg mixture cooked together.
The only difference is that the French toast casserole recipe uses brioche, so it is perfect for breakfast. In addition, it makes the casserole softer and less dense than using a French baguette.
But this casserole recipe differs from overnight French toast casserole; the former requires only 30 minutes of soaking!
You can't go wrong with this brioche casserole, so give it a try and enjoy every bite.
And if you are ready to transform a simple brioche into a morning feast, make this brioche casserole this upcoming weekend!
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Why you should try this recipe
French toast casserole is a delicious way to use up leftovers. The recipe calls for one-day-old bread or more, but you can also prepare it with fresh ingredients if that is what they have available.
This recipe can serve a crowd without you having to stand at the stove and fry each individual toast.
Easy French toast bake is the perfect breakfast for weekend mornings. It is easy to make and versatile enough that you can serve it on other special occasions like Mother's day brunch or Christmas morning.
It uses simple ingredients and takes about 45 minutes to cook hands-free before serving.
And what is even better, this easy French toast casserole recipe only requires 30 minutes of soaking time. So forget about long-toast casseroles made the next morning!
Ingredients
For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
Brioche loaf: it is the star of the French toast casserole recipe. Ideally, it should be bought the day before: it must have dried out a little.
You can also use a pandoro, panettone, French bread (perfect for soaking overnight), challah bread, or even sandwich bread to make the recipe.
If you use the sandwich bread, it soaks quickly; so shorten the soaking time to 10 minutes maximum.
You can buy the sliced bread or slice it into 2 cm (¾ inch) thick slices. But always leave the rind on, so your final bake has nice sharp edges.
Extra tip: The aged bread is better at retaining its shape, but it doesn't absorb most of the liquid.
Butter: the recipe calls for unsalted butter, softened at room temperature. When applied to each bread slice, it is a secret ingredient in this rich recipe; it adds an extra buttery flavor.
Raisins: use any raisins available, or replace them with chopped dried apricots, pecans, etc.
Spices: add ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon to spice up your casserole.
Heavy cream brings a beautiful creamy taste and rich and delicious texture to this breakfast dish. Feel free to replace it with milk if desired.
The recipe calls for whole milk, but you can replace it with low-fat milk. If desired, you can use coconut or almond milk instead of regular milk.
Eggs: use large eggs that work as a binder in this brioche toast casserole recipe.
Icing (powdered) sugar is used to sweeten up the toast bake. But since the brioche is a sweetened bread, you can use less sugar than noted in the recipe. You can even go without any added sugar.
Vanilla extract brings an exquisite flavor to your bake.
Flaked almonds are optional; use them for topping.
How to make the recipe
Butter a 7 x 7 inches (18 x 18 cm) baking dish. Cut brioche slices on a diagonal to make two triangles from each.
Using the softened butter and a sandwich knife, apply a thin layer of butter on one side of the bread slices.
Arrange the slices in the prepared baking dish, overlapping them slightly, buttered side up. Sprinkle raisins and ground spices.
Repeat the operation with the second layer and finish with raisins and spices.
Heat heavy cream and milk very slowly in a saucepan, don't let them boil. Take the pan from the heat, add vanilla extract, and mix.
In a small bowl, beat eggs with one tablespoon of icing sugar into an omelet using a fork. Then pour them into the warm milk mixture and whisk with a hand whisk.
Pour the mixture over the bread, cover it with a plastic wrap, and let it soak generously at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F / 180 degrees C. Sprinkle the brioche slices with the remaining icing sugar and bake the casserole for 45 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven with oven mitts and let cool for a few minutes.
Serve the dish hot or reheated with powdered sugar and sprinkled with toasted flaked almonds.
Recipe variations
The possibilities for this luxurious breakfast staple are endless, so get ready to take on the world.
If you want to flavor your brioche bake other than cinnamon and nutmeg, you can add a pinch of ground ginger or replace them both with these spices:
- pumpkin pie spice,
- chai spice blend,
- cardamom with cinnamon.
If you want to add flavor to the milk mixture, you might try orange blossom, dark rum, or scaped seeds of vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract. After that, it's up to your personal preference.
You can use honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, or vanilla sugar instead of icing sugar.
Also, feel free to use dried cranberries, frozen red fruit, chopped dried fruit, nuts, or anything else that sounds amazing instead of raisins.
And why not add chocolate chips for a chocolate version: the kids will love it!
Try cinnamon or raisin bread to give this casserole a unique twist. You can also use sourdough breads or slightly stale gingerbread if it suits your tastes.
Cut the bread into triangle slices or use brioche 1-inch cubes (2.5 cm).
Serve your baked brioche French toast with salted butter caramel, Nutella, custard, crème fraîche, melted chocolate, lemon curd, or fruit coulis.
Give your breakfast a little extra something special by adding some color to the top of the casserole. For example, you can use fresh berries or sliced bananas to brighten your Sunday mornings.
Equipment
What utensils will you need to make this classic brioche French toast casserole? You will need an oven-safe ceramic or glass baking dish, a small mixing bowl, a saucepan, and a hand whisk.
Use this simple calculator to recalculate ingredients for a baking dish you have on your hands.
Storage instructions
Store leftovers in the dish it was baked and covered with foil or an airtight container in the refrigerator for five days.
Bring it to the preheated oven to 350°F / 175°C for 10 minutes to reheat a slice. You can also use the microwave at 50% power in 1-minute increments to reheat your bake, but it will soak it. If you proceed, make sure to use a microwave-safe glass or ceramic container.
If you want to reheat a large quantity, cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bring it to the preheated oven at 325°F / 160°C. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until warmed through.
Can you freeze this casserole? Yes, but you should freeze it without berries. Cover the dish with double plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in the freezer for one to two months.
Reheat it straight from frozen in a 350°F / 175°C oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
Expert tips
- If the top browns too quickly, cover the top loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil when it begins to brown.
- Drizzle the sliced bake with maple syrup if desired.
FAQ
Buttery brioche bread is the best bread to make the French toast casserole. It absorbs the liquid during cooking but keeps its shape. The outside browns very well in the oven, while the inside stays soft and delicate. Besides brioche, you can also use another kind of white bread: sweetened or unsweetened.
You can use fluffy brioche bread, challah, pandoro, panettone, French bread, Texas Toast, or cinnamon swirl bread.
The best bread for French toast is slightly stale, for example, one day old. To stale bread, unwrap it and let it dry for about 24 hours. Or dry the bread slices in the preheated oven at 390°F / 200°C for 45-60 minutes.
Soaking the French toast casserole overnight is not required in all the recipes. Some recipes suggest you soak it up in a custard mixture for 24 hours. Others will tell you that you can prepare everything the same day, and the soaking time varies from 30 minutes to 12 hours.
You can serve French toast casserole with fresh fruit, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a dollop of Greek yogurt, or go for something extra like chorizo, eggs, salad, or bacon.
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PrintRecipe card
Brioche French Toast Casserole
Silky, sweet, and packed full of flavors, brioche French toast casserole, makes a gourmet and hearty breakfast. So, why not spoil yourself and your loved ones this weekend?
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes (plus resting time)
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Quick Bread and Brioche
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
For brioche bake:
- 5 slices of brioche bread loaf, cut into ¾-inch / 2 cm slices
- 3 tablespoons (30 g) raisins
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup + 3 tablespoons (200 ml) heavy cream
- ⅔ cup + 3 tablespoons (200 ml) milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons icing (powdered) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For serving (optional):
- icing (powdered) sugar
- flaked almonds
*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!
** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
-
Butter a 7 x 7 inches (18 x 18 cm) baking dish. Cut brioche slices on a diagonal to make two triangles from each. Using the softened butter and a sandwich knife, apply a thin layer of butter on one side of the bread slices. Arrange the slices in the prepared baking dish, overlapping them slightly, buttered side up. Sprinkle raisins and ground spices. Repeat the operation with the second layer and finish with raisins and spices.
-
Heat heavy cream and milk very slowly in a saucepan, don't let them boil. Take the pan from the heat, add vanilla extract, and mix. In a small bowl, beat eggs with one tablespoon of icing sugar into an omelet using a fork. Then pour them into the warm milk mixture and whisk with a hand whisk. Pour the mixture over the bread, cover it with a plastic wrap, and let it soak generously at room temperature for 30 minutes.
-
Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F / 180 degrees C. Sprinkle the brioche slices with the remaining icing sugar and bake casserole for 45 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven with oven mitts and let cool for a few minutes. Serve the dish hot or reheated with powdered sugar and sprinkled with toasted flaked almonds.
Notes
- If the top browns too quickly, cover the top loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil when it begins to brown.
- Drizzle the sliced bake with maple syrup if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 443
- Sugar: 11.3 g
- Sodium: 340 mg
- Fat: 29.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 17.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.8 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 10.8 g
- Cholesterol: 183 mg
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
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