I made this French Toast Casserole with a freshly baked Challah Bread. It is the perfect bread because it turns spongy with the juice from the berries and eggs. You will love this casserole, and it is made the night before. I will be making it again for Christmas morning this year. I made it for my family that visited for Thanksgiving this past week and they all loved it.
You can use any bread that you have on hand, but, I chose to make this Challah Bread recipe.
Challah Bread
Source
Dough
4 to 4 1/4 cups (480g to 510g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup (170g) water, lukewarm
6 tablespoons (74g) vegetable oil
3 tablespoons (63g) honey
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk (white reserved for the topping)
1 1/2 teaspoons (9g) table salt
4 teaspoons (12g) instant yeast
Topping
1 large egg white (reserved from above), beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Combine the flour with the rest of the dough ingredients. Mix and knead them by hand, mixer, or bread machine until you have a soft, smooth dough. If the dough is very sticky, add an additional 1/4 cup of flour.
Allow the dough to rise in a plastic wrap-covered bowl for about 2 hours, or until it's puffy; it won't necessarily double in bulk.
Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
Divide the dough into three sections and roll each into a log of the same length. You will be braiding them together.
Once you braid them together, place the bread onto a parchment-lined tray and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the bread to rise for about 90 minutes until it doubles in size. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the bread with the egg wash and bake it for 25-30 minutes.
I wish you could smell the wonderful aroma of this bread.
Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Source
Cooking spray
14-16 oz. loaf challah, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
8 large eggs
2 ½ cups half-and-half
½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
Cut up the Challah bread into cubes and lightly coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread two-thirds of the bread cubes in an even layer in the prepared dish. Whisk the eggs until the whites and yolks are well combined. Whisk in the half-and-half, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
Top with the blueberries, followed by the rest of the bread. Tuck rounded teaspoonfuls of cream cheese between the bread cubes. Slowly pour over the bread, letting it seep down into the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the casserole and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Just before baking, sprinkle the top of the casserole with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until puffed, golden, and set. A knife inserted into the center should come out moist but clean.
Blueberry-Maple Syrup
1 ½ cups maple syrup
2 cups fresh blueberries, divided
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
You can use pure Maple syrup or prepare the Blueberry version as I did. I have to say it really was fabulous.
I was so busy serving up breakfast to the family along with an omelet that I forgot to take a photo of the casserole with the syrup on top. Well, maybe the next time I make it. My husband said it will have to be a tradition for the holidays going forward. ;-)
Until next time, this is Sunscape
Sun. Scape. Ing Your Day
