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Hi Bold Bakers!
I know I’ve shown you time and time again how to be a bold baker, but this gem of a recipe is here to show you how to be bold at breakfast! My Bacon and Cheese Breakfast Strata takes the most important meal of the day to an entirely new level. This breakfast is really just a savory bread pudding piled high with gooey tangy cheddar, crispy bacon, and topped off with fresh herbs. Held together by a rich eggy custard, it takes all the best parts of breakfast — the egg, bacon, and toast — and transforms into a super impressive slice-able dish!
What is a Strata?
Similar in flavor to a quiche, a strata is a savory bread pudding. Just like bread pudding, my breakfast strata starts with good bread and egg custard. I like to use slightly stale crusty bread as this really helps to absorb the custard creating a lovely soft spongy texture to the strata after baking.
The egg custard mixture is where everything gets exciting, because not only do I add the traditional cream, but I add lots of cheese, cooked bacon, and green onion. After soaking and baking the result is a gorgeous savory looking pie, perfect for slicing and feeding a big crowd. Whomever you share this with will surely be coming back for seconds and thirds!
Can a Strata be Made Ahead?
Since the custard needs time to soak into the bread and marry all the other flavors, this is a great option for a make-ahead breakfast. You can assemble the strata a night in advance and allow it to soak and set up in the fridge. Instead of worrying about fussy scrambled eggs or omelets I highly suggest you give this a try for your next special brunch occasion!
What Can I Add to My Strata?
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Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Strata Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1¼ cup milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 7 cups lightly packed baguette / french stick cut into 2 cm /
- 1 inch cubes (preferably slightly stale)
- 10 slices of bacon , cooked
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- Parsley , finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Place the bread in a large bowl and pour in the egg mixture, cheese and cooked bacon. Gently fold together and set aside in the fridge for an hour or until all the egg is soaked into the bread. (I leave mine overnight in the fridge for really good soakage)
- To Cook: Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C
- Grease a 21cm/8″ springform cake tin. Pour the bread mixture into the cake tin, pat down the bread cubes to compress and scatter over a little more bacon and cheese if you have it. Cover loosely with foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until firm to touch in the middle. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing the springform and cutting into slices to serve.
- Garnish with parsley and enjoy!
Made it for Father’s Day, and it was a hit! He had three helpings. Gemma, you never fail to hit the mark!
It’s 1am and I’m drooling reading the recipe. Would the cooking temperature and time stay the same of I cut the recipe in half?
This was fabulous. Adapted to what I had on hand: softer bread, ham, and half recipe. Cooked in silicone loaf pan. Absolutely fabulous! By the way….. Did I mention that it was fabulous?
Can I use any bread for this like hotdog rolls as iv got loads left over from bbq and was thinking how to use them up ?
It says in beginning that you use cream but it’s not in the recipe or have I missed it somewhere? X
Hi Gemma,
I tried an italian spin on this & added cherry tomatoes, basil, olives, breakfast sausages & mozzarella cheese. Though it tasted great however the inside was very soft & soggy. Not sure if its meant to be such or if I added a little more milk than I was supposed to or if it was the cheese, or perhaps I added less bread. I halved your recipe as it was meant for only two people. How can I make sure that the inside of the strata is less soggy when I try it the next time.
Thanks.
Can I freeze this if not how many days does it keep in fridge? Thanks Claire
Nice recipe, easy, flavorful and looks great on the plate.
the recipe doesnt appear to be on here