French toast is already a pretty decadent breakfast, but we’ve got a way to make it extra luxurious: thick-sliced cinnamon twist brioche. You’ll start by dipping the brioche in a simple egg custard, then pan-frying the slices to crispy perfection. The cinnamon-swirled brioche results in extra rich, fluffy, and flavorful slices that truly take this classic brunch dish over the top. Topped with fresh berries, sweet syrup, and a little dusting of confectioners’ sugar, this will make any morning special.
All about the brioche:
If you’re unfamiliar, brioche is a French pastry bread that is enriched with eggs and butter (unlike regular bread). This creates a pillowy, buttery, slightly sweet loaf perfect for making a rich French toast. Though regular brioche is delicious, during testing, we discovered that cinnamon twist brioche really takes this recipe over the top. If, like us, you can only find one or the other, give them both a try and see which you prefer. You could even try your hand at making your own, using our homemade brioche bread recipe.
How to make the best brioche French toast:
The trick to making sure your French toast is custardy, not soggy, is to dry out the bread. We do this by toasting our bread in the oven for 20 minutes on a low temperature. (Dried bread makes for a better texture than stale, which retains a lot of moisture. If you do happen to have a stale loaf, still go ahead and dry the slices in the oven.) Make sure not to oversoak your bread—you want to dip the slices in for only 15 to 20 seconds in order to ensure the bread doesn’t absorb too much liquid.
Tip: If you’re making this for a crowd, line a baking sheet with a wire rack and keep the cooked slices in a 200º oven until you’re ready to serve.
Serving brioche French toast:
For a classic breakfast spread, we love to serve these slices up with some creamy scrambled eggs, oven-baked bacon, and plenty of fruit. Serving a crowd? Whip up some of our breakfast casseroles alongside, like our baked apple oatmeal or our egg and hash brown casserole.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
French toast is already a pretty decadent breakfast, but we’ve got a way to make it extra luxurious: thick-sliced cinnamon twist brioche. You’ll start by dipping the brioche in a simple egg custard, then pan-frying the slices to crispy perfection. The cinnamon-swirled brioche results in extra rich, fluffy, and flavorful slices that truly take this classic brunch dish over the top. Topped with fresh berries, sweet syrup, and a little dusting of confectioners’ sugar, this will make any morning special.
All about the brioche:
If you’re unfamiliar, brioche is a French pastry bread that is enriched with eggs and butter (unlike regular bread). This creates a pillowy, buttery, slightly sweet loaf perfect for making a rich French toast. Though regular brioche is delicious, during testing, we discovered that cinnamon twist brioche really takes this recipe over the top. If, like us, you can only find one or the other, give them both a try and see which you prefer. You could even try your hand at making your own, using our homemade brioche bread recipe.
How to make the best brioche French toast:
The trick to making sure your French toast is custardy, not soggy, is to dry out the bread. We do this by toasting our bread in the oven for 20 minutes on a low temperature. (Dried bread makes for a better texture than stale, which retains a lot of moisture. If you do happen to have a stale loaf, still go ahead and dry the slices in the oven.) Make sure not to oversoak your bread—you want to dip the slices in for only 15 to 20 seconds in order to ensure the bread doesn’t absorb too much liquid.
Tip: If you’re making this for a crowd, line a baking sheet with a wire rack and keep the cooked slices in a 200º oven until you’re ready to serve.
Serving brioche French toast:
For a classic breakfast spread, we love to serve these slices up with some creamy scrambled eggs, oven-baked bacon, and plenty of fruit. Serving a crowd? Whip up some of our breakfast casseroles alongside, like our baked apple oatmeal or our egg and hash brown casserole.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
- Yields:
-
4 – 6
serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Total Time:
- 45 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 695
Directions
-
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 200º. On a large rimmed baking sheet, spread bread in a single layer. Bake bread until dried out, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
- Step 2In a large, shallow baking dish, whisk eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Working with 2 slices at a time, place bread into egg mixture and let soak 15 to 20 seconds per side.
- Step 3In a large skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add soaked bread. Cook until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining bread, adjusting heat and adding more butter as needed.
- Step 4Serve with a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Top with berries and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if using.
- Step 1
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: SPENCER RICHARDS
