Citron Brioche French Toast Casserole
This French toast recipe is the ultimate hands-off entertaining brunch dish. Set this up the night before and all you’ll have to do in the morning is brush it with butter and bake.
Yield: 6 servings
Materials
- 1 loaf Citron Brioche (found at the vineyard) sliced 1" thick
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted, plus more for pan
- 6 large eggs
- 1¾ cups heavy cream
- 1¾ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp finely grated orange zest optional
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar
- ½ cup crème fraîche
- Maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Spread bread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, turning bread halfway through, until dried out and lightly golden brown, 20–25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, butter a 13x9" baking dish.
- Whisk eggs, cream, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and orange zest (if using) in a medium bowl.
- Arrange bread in overlapping rows in prepared dish. Pour custard over, pressing bread down into custard to help soak it up.
- Let sit 5 minutes, then press down once more. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Place a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 325°. Let bread sit out at room temperature while oven preheats, at least 30 minutes.
- Uncover pan, tilt, and ladle custard back over tops of bread. Press down once more to submerge. Brush tops of bread with 3 Tbsp. melted butter.
- Sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake bread until it is lightly golden, puffed, and pulling away from edges of pan, and butter is bubbling, 30–40 minutes.
- Let cool slightly. Serve with crème fraîche and maple syrup alongside.