Description
Luxurious crème brûlée inspired French toast bake melds classic dessert techniques with breakfast comfort. Golden custard-soaked bread layers promise rich flavor profiles that delight breakfast enthusiasts and weekend brunch guests.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 loaf French bread, sliced 1-inch thick
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml/8 fl oz) half-and-half
- 1 cup (240 ml/8 fl oz) whole milk
- ⅔ cup (133 g/4.7 oz) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (57 g/2 oz) unsalted butter
- Extra granulated sugar for topping
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- Maple syrup
Instructions
- Preparation: Thoroughly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter, creating a seamless non-stick surface for the French toast bake.
- Bread Layering: Meticulously arrange sliced French bread in a complete, uniform layer covering the entire bottom of the baking dish.
- Custard Creation: Whisk eggs, half-and-half, whole milk, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until the mixture transforms into a smooth, homogeneous liquid with rich, aromatic undertones.
- Custard Infusion: Pour the carefully crafted custard over the bread slices, ensuring complete and thorough saturation of each piece, allowing the bread to absorb the flavorful mixture.
- Marination: Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, enabling the bread to deeply integrate with the custard’s complex flavor profile.
- Baking Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), establishing the optimal thermal environment for the toast’s transformation.
- Final Touches: Uncover the marinated bread, delicately distribute butter fragments across the surface, and generously dust with an additional layer of granulated sugar to enhance caramelization.
- Baking Process: Bake for 35-40 minutes, watching for a golden, puffy texture with crisp, caramelized edges that signify perfect doneness.
- Caramelization Finale: Sprinkle an extra layer of sugar across the surface, then briefly broil to create a crackling, amber-hued crust that mimics the classic crème brûlée finish.
Notes
- Prepare Ahead: Overnight refrigeration allows bread to fully absorb rich custard, intensifying flavor complexity and ensuring tender, luxurious texture.
- Sugar Caramelization Technique: Watch broiler closely during final caramelization stage to prevent burning; aim for golden-amber crust without scorching.
- Bread Selection Matters: Use day-old French bread or brioche for optimal absorption and structural integrity during baking process.
- Temperature Precision: Allow dish to rest briefly after baking to help custard set and stabilize, creating perfect creamy-crisp consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 404
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 186 mg