Description
A delicious baked brioche French toast casserole featuring thick slices of brioche soaked in a fragrant orange-infused custard, baked until golden and topped with coarse sugar for a delightful crunch. Perfect for a comforting breakfast or brunch.
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
Topping and Preparation
- 30 g butter
- 12 g coarse sugar (demerara sugar)
Instructions
- Slice the Bread: Slice the brioche bread into 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) slices, about 12 to 14 slices. Cut each slice diagonally to make triangles.
- Make the Custard: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs well. Add light brown sugar, orange zest and juice, vanilla extract, salt, and milk. Whisk until combined.
- Prepare the Dish: Grease a 22 x 13 cm (9×13 inch) casserole dish completely with butter, including sides. Reserve any extra butter for dolloping around the base.
- Soak the Bread: Submerge each triangle of brioche in the custard mixture fully, then place in the casserole dish with triangle points facing up. Pour any leftover custard over the bread.
- Rest: Let the soaked bread sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to absorb flavors fully.
- Add Topping: After resting, sprinkle coarse sugar evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 165°C (340°F) for 30 minutes or until lightly golden and set.
- Rest and Serve: Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving warm. Optionally drizzle with maple syrup for extra sweetness.
Notes
- Use day-old or stale brioche bread for best results to prevent soggy texture.
- Allowing the bread to soak for 30 minutes ensures maximum flavor infusion and custard absorption.
- Serve warm straight from the oven with maple syrup for a comforting breakfast.
- Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 5 days; reheat gently before serving.
- This casserole freezes well; wrap securely in plastic wrap and foil, freeze up to 3 months, thaw overnight in refrigerator before baking.
- Step-by-step images available in original blog post for visual guidance.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 100 g)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
