Description
French toast casserole from Barefoot Contessa delivers comfort with rich custard-soaked bread and warm spices. Overnight preparation ensures a hassle-free breakfast you can savor with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10 cups day-old challah bread, 1-inch-diced
- 12 oz (340 g) fresh raspberries
- 10 extra-large eggs
- 2 ¾ cups (650 mL) half-and-half
- 1 tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup (67 g) + 2 tbsps (30 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (2 g) grated orange zest, plus extra for serving
- ½ tsp (2 g) kosher salt
- Confectioners’ sugar, for serving
- Pure maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Preparation: Lavishly butter a 9×13-inch baking dish, ensuring complete surface coverage for seamless release.
- Custard Creation: Whisk eggs, half-and-half, white and brown sugars, vanilla, orange zest, and sea salt into a silky, unified mixture that promises luxurious texture.
- Layering Foundation: Artfully arrange half the challah cubes across the buttered dish, creating a plush bread foundation.
- Fruit Infusion: Sprinkle raspberries generously over the initial bread layer, distributing vibrant bursts of flavor throughout.
- Bread Stratification: Top the raspberries with remaining challah cubes, forming a lofty, textured surface.
- Liquid Integration: Gently pour custard mixture over bread layers, delicately pressing to ensure complete absorption and flavor penetration.
- Sugaring: Dust the surface with granulated sugar, creating a tantalizing crystalline finish.
- Chilling Sequence: Refrigerate for one hour, allowing ingredients to meld and bread to soak up the luxurious custard.
- Baking Ritual: Preheat oven to 350°F, then transfer chilled casserole directly from refrigerator to oven.
- Culinary Transformation: Bake 60-70 minutes until golden and set, tenting with foil if browning occurs too quickly.
- Finishing Touch: Rest for 10 minutes, then garnish with powdered sugar and fresh orange zest, serving alongside warm maple syrup.
Notes
- Precise Chilling Technique: Refrigerate exactly 60 minutes to allow bread maximum custard absorption, preventing soggy or dry texture.
- Strategic Baking Monitoring: Watch surface browning carefully, using aluminum foil to prevent over-caramelization and ensure even golden-brown coloration.
- Bread Selection Matters: Use day-old challah for optimal texture absorption and enhanced flavor complexity, avoiding fresh bread which can become mushy.
- Fruit Distribution Tip: Scatter raspberries evenly to guarantee consistent fruity bursts in every serving, preventing bland or overly concentrated fruit sections.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 450 mg