French Toast Casserole Comfort

This Sourdough French Toast Casserole is a delicious comforting dish perfect for breakfast or even to serve at holidays, brunches, or really any special occasion. First you will need a loaf of sourdough bread, then you will need to cut the bread into small cubes and spread evenly around your pan, then the bread will be soaked in a rich mixture with milk, egg, vanilla, and a touch or cinnamon, allowing all the flavors to fully absorb for a few hours or over night. Before you bake your casserole is topped with a sweet, buttery, surgery topping made with brown sugar, flour, ground cinnamon, and melted butter and this will bake into a golden crisp topping. After you bake it you might want to serve it with a drizzle of maple syrup, or powdered sugar.

Bowl, 9x13 baking pan, knife, oven, plastic wrap, whisk

Ingredients Needed for the french toast:

1. 1 loaf of sourdough bread
2. 8 large eggs
3. 2 cups milk
4. ½ cup heavy cream
5. 1 tbsp vanilla extract
6. ¾ sugar

Ingredients for the topping:

1. ½ cup flour
2. ½ cup packed brown sugar
3. 1 tsp cinnamon
4. ¼ tsp salt
5. ½ cup butter

Begin by slicing the bread into small cubes each approximately 1 inch in size. This will help by evenly soaking and baking later on. Once you are finished cutting the bread, lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan using butter or nonstick spray to make sure there is no sticking. Then scatter the bread evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Once you have done that, slowly pour it evenly over the bread cubes in the baking pan and make sure all the pieces of bread are soaked in the mixture. I sometimes take a spatula and give the cubes a little mix around to make sure everything is coated well.

Cover your dish tightly with plastic wrap, foil, or a tea towel to prevent any air from getting in and drying out the bread. This will help the mixture to fully absorb into the bread cubes. Place your covered dish into the refrigerator to let it chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight as this will allow the bread to properly absorb everything before baking.

In a medium bowl you will need to mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until everything is well combined. Then add room temperature butter making sure to cut into cubes as you add it. Mix until the mixture becomes a coarse sand and chunky texture. This topping will become a sweet and crunchy layer when it is baked. Once everything is mixed, add the mixture into a resealable bag or airtight container and refrigerate it overnight, or until you are ready to bake the casserole.

Once you are ready to bake you will need to preheat your oven to 350 F. Take the baking dish out of the refrigerator. The topping, that was made up beforehand, is now ready to be sprinkled over the casserole. Cover the casserole in an even layer.

Bake the casserole uncovered, once your oven has been preheated, for 45-60 minutes. Bake closer to 45 minutes for a softer middle. Keep an eye on the casserole towards the end of the baking time, just to make you don't overcook it or so it does not dry out. Then let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Add whatever topping you would like! I prefer maple syrup!

I hope you have enjoyed learning how to make this delicious french toast casserole. You can use all different kinds of breads, add in different kinds of ingredients (nuts, raisins, more cinnamon), sprinkle it with powdered sugar, or have it as a dinner with a side of sausage! This is a simple recipe that is sure to be a favourite in your home because of how easy and quick it is to throw together.