Brioche French Toast Recipe
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
My Brioche French Toast is an easy, restaurant-quality crowd-pleaser perfect for holiday brunches and indulgent weekend breakfasts.
Course:
Breakfast
Cuisine:
French
Servings: 5 servings
Ingredients
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 ½ cups (20 fl oz/600 ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 brioche slices, about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick
- 4 tablespoons (2 oz/58 g) Butter , for cooking
Instructions
-
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract, nutmeg and salt until well combined.
-
Soak the brioche slices (1-2 at a time) in the egg mixture for about 2 minutes on each side or until fully soaked.
-
Heat a large pan over medium-low heat and melt about 1 tablespoon (½ oz/14 g) of butter. Cook 2-3 brioche slices at a time for about 3 minutes per side, until evenly golden brown and cooked through.
-
Serve hot with maple syrup, whipped cream, and fresh berries. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute.
Recipe Notes
- Use day old bread. For the best results, use sliced bread that's slightly stale. This helps the bread slices stay together during soaking and cooking.
- Slice the bread into thick pieces. The bread must be 1 inch- (2.5 cm-) thick so it's sturdy enough to soak up the custard and cook without falling apart.
- Use only the egg yolk. To make the best brioche French toast, my trick is to use only the egg yolks, and not the whole egg. This ensures your French toast won’t taste “eggy," and creates the richest custard. You can save the whites (they freeze wonderfully), or cook them in a little butter to serve alongside the toast.
- Take care not to crowd the pan. Putting too many slices in the pan could make the heat fluctuate and make it difficult to flip them.
- Do not oversoak. Don't let the bread become over-saturated, as that will make it fragile. Let each piece sit in the custard mixture for up to 2 minutes on each side.
- Let the excess custard drip off. Let any excess custard mixture drip off into the bowl. This will help prevent a soggy exterior.
- Cook at medium-low. For the best French toast, keep the heat at medium-low so the outside won't cook before the inside is done.
- Keep warm in the oven. Keep your cooked slices of French toast warm by placing them on a baking sheet in a 200°F (100°C) oven while you finish cooking.