Brunch is a beautiful time of the day! You’re well-rested, excited for the day ahead, and you’re hungry for something yummy. What more could you ask for? Bay French Toast is that something sweet you’ll look forward to digging into as the sun rises. This warm, bubbly casserole is loaded with everything you dream about, like spongey bread soaked in a creamy, brown cinnamon yumminess. Sprinkled with a sugary cinnamon topping, you’ll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to take on the day! Start it off right with some Bay French Toast!
Ingredients
For the French toast:
- butter, to taste, for greasing
- 1 loaf crusty sourdough or French bread, torn into chunks or cut into cubes
- 8 whole eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- warm syrup, for serving
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
Directions
Step 1 –Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with the butter.
Step 2 –Evenly distribute the bread in the prepared dish.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, crack the eggs.
Step 4 –Add the milk, the heavy cream, the granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, and the vanilla to the eggs and whisk to combine.
Step 5 –Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread.
Step 6 –Cover the pan tightly and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
Step 7 –In a bowl, add the flour, the remaining brown sugar, the cinnamon, the salt, and the nutmeg and stir together with a fork.
Step 8 –Add the stick of cold butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter to mix it together until it resembles fine pebbles.
Step 9 –Store the topping mixture in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge until ready to use.
Step 10 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 11 –Sprinkle the casserole with the topping and bake. For a softer, bread pudding texture, bake for about 1 hour. For a firmer, crisper texture, bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Step 12 –Serve warm with the maple syrup.