Chef notes
In the battle between pancakes, waffles and French toast, the latter doesn’t always come in first place. This French toast casserole recipe, however, will change your mind. Not only is it a sweet, delicious breakfast treat but it’s also a jack of all trades. It’s the perfect centerpiece for a leisurely breakfast or brunch, but since it can be prepped ahead of time, it’s also great for any busy weekday. Best of all, warmed-up leftovers are just as delicious as the original.
The flavor of this French toast casserole is modeled after crème brûlée, the classic French custard dessert. Silky vanilla custard is prepared on the stovetop with a foolproof method that uses cornstarch to thicken it. The custard is then piped into thick slices of rich, buttery challah and left to soak in a baking dish with a traditional French toast custard of eggs, milk, sugar and spice (just a little cinnamon is the perfect complement to all of the other simple flavors). The casserole needs at least six hours to soak up the custard, but overnight is even better — this allows the egg mixture to soak completely through the bread, leaving it soft and custard-like.
The casserole is sprinkled with more sugar after it comes out of the oven. To bring home the crème brûlée flavors, the sugar is melted and caramelized with a blow torch. This recipe can be made like regular French toast as well. Instead of baking the slices in the oven, toast them on a buttered griddle for a few minutes until golden, then sprinkle with more sugar and brûlée!
Technique Tip: Don’t have a blow torch? No problem! Pop the casserole under the broiler for about 30 seconds to caramelize the sugar. Just keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Swap Option: Any enriched bread similar to challah will work here. Try it with brioche instead.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
- 1 (1-pound) loaf challah, cut into 1½-inch thick slices
- 6 large eggs
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pure maple syrup, for serving (optional)
- fresh berries, for serving (optional)
Preparation
For the pastry cream:
1.In a small saucepan, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt until no clumps remain. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened to the consistency of pudding, about 1 minute.
2.Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing against the custard, and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
3.Transfer the pastry cream to a piping or resealable bag and snip a ½-inch hole at the tip. Set aside.
For the casserole:
1.Brush the bottom and sides of a 2½-to-3-quart baking dish generously with butter.
2.Using a small paring or serrated knife, cut a slit into one side of each piece of bread, slicing about three-fourths of the way through. Gently pipe the pastry cream into the slits in the bread. Arrange the bread in the greased baking dish, overlapping slightly as needed.
3.In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 4 tablespoons sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon until smooth. Carefully and evenly pour the milk mixture over the top of the bread. Press down gently with your hands or a spatula to ensure that each slice of bread is fully submerged in custard. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or up to overnight.
4.Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature.
5.Bake the casserole, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the custard is just set and the top is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes more.
6.Let the casserole cool for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the top. Carefully wave a hand-held blow torch over the sugar until it begins to caramelize. Serve with maple syrup and berries.
