Hello, and welcome back to Indana's Kitchen. Today I will be making a french toast bake, which a clever feast-o-crat or home chef alike might prepare on a Saturday night for an easy Sunday (or any) morning breakfast.
My French toast bake came out with the consistency of bread pudding, on the softer, more custard-y side. If you prefer something more akin to traditional French toast, you can decrease the amount of liquid in the bake, either by toasting your bread in an oven set to 200 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or by decreasing the amount of half and half/milk. Or you could do both!
Ingredients:
Brioche loaf, cut into 1” cubes
1 ½ cups half & half or heavy cream
3-5 eggs
4 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla paste or one scraped vanilla bean
½ tsp nutmeg, grated
Zest 1 lemon or orange
The Toppings:
Handful of pecans
4 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch kosher salt
Turbinado sugar
French Toast Bake Method:
Start by cutting a large loaf of brioche bread into large cubes. Generously butter a casserole dish, making sure to get every inch. Fill the dish with the pieces of bread cubes.
For the custard, into a large bowl goes 1 ½ cups of whole milk, 5 large eggs, 4 tablespoons of dark brown sugar, 1-2 teaspoons of real vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk together until combined and no streaks of egg remain.
Then pour the custard evenly all over the bread cubes, making sure that every piece is saturated. For good measure, give it a nice messy toss for even custard distribution.
Cover and place in the fridge overnight to bake the next day, or you can bake it immediately.
When ready to bake, prepare the topping. In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of melted butter, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk until completely combined then set aside.
Chop a handful of pecans then scatter across the top of the casserole. Then drizzle evenly with the brown sugar butter mixture. Top it off with a few generous pinches of turbinado sugar.
Place into a 350°F oven for 35-45 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Remove when golden brown. Let rest for at least 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, slice and serve, topping with butter and maple syrup.
This recipe was sourced from the youtuber Basics with Babbish.