Description
This Baked Brioche French Toast Casserole is a delightful breakfast or brunch option featuring thickly sliced brioche bread soaked in a flavorful orange-infused custard and baked until golden. Perfect for serving warm with maple syrup, this recipe offers a comforting and elegant twist on classic French toast.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 1 brioche bread loaf (500 g), thickly sliced
Custard Mixture
- 4 large eggs
- 50 g light brown sugar
- 1 zest of a large orange
- 80 ml orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1½ cups milk
For Baking
- 30 g butter (for greasing)
- 12 g coarse sugar (demerara sugar, for sprinkling on top)
Instructions
- Slice the bread. Cut the brioche loaf into 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) thick slices, resulting in about 12 to 14 slices. Then cut each slice diagonally in half to make triangle shapes.
- Prepare the custard mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk the 4 eggs thoroughly. Add light brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract, fine salt, and milk. Whisk together until fully combined.
- Grease the baking dish. Use 30 g butter to grease all over the base and sides of a 22 x 33 cm (9×13 inch) casserole dish. Reserve any leftover butter to dollop around the base.
- Soak the bread. Fully submerge each brioche triangle into the egg custard mixture and arrange them upright, pointing the triangle tips up, in the casserole dish. Pour any remaining custard over the bread pieces.
- Let it rest. Allow the soaked bread to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to absorb the custard and develop flavors.
- Add sugar topping and bake. Sprinkle the coarse demerara sugar evenly over the top. Bake in a preheated oven at 165°C (340°F) for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and the casserole is cooked through.
- Rest and serve. Remove from oven and let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving warm. Drizzle generously with maple syrup for best flavor.
Notes
- Use day-old or slightly stale brioche bread to prevent sogginess; fresh bread may fall apart when soaked.
- Letting the bread soak for 30 minutes helps flavors to meld and custard to penetrate fully, but the casserole will still be tasty if pressed for time.
- Serve the casserole warm straight from the oven for optimal taste and texture.
- Store leftovers covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; reheat in the oven or microwave.
- This casserole can be frozen in a freezer-safe dish wrapped well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
- Step-by-step photos are available on the associated blog post to help guide preparation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 300 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
