The Best Brioche French Toast Recipe | Valerie's Kitchen (2024)

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Thick-sliced brioche dipped in a sweet egg custard creates the most tender, buttery, luxurious French toast ever! Serve this Brioche French Toast with fresh berries and warm maple syrup for an easy but elegant breakfast.

The Best Brioche French Toast Recipe | Valerie's Kitchen (1)

I did this Brioche French Toast recipe for Christmas brunch last year and I’ve had it tucked away ever since, ready to share with you for Mother’s Day.

It’s such a great choice for even the most novice of cooks to pull together in a snap for a special breakfast in bed but would also be a wonderful choice for a more formal Mother’s Day brunch menu.

The Best Brioche French Toast Recipe | Valerie's Kitchen (2)

The Best Bread for French Toast

Brioche is a French pastry bread that uses more eggs and butter than most other yeast breads. The result is pillowy, buttery and slightly sweet. It’s frequently baked as a round loaf but has been rapidly gaining popularity and now you’ll find it readily available in the form of everything from hamburger buns to sliced bread.

Trader Joe’s carries a really nice loaf of thick-sliced brioche for a great price. I’ve also seen it at Costco and even my local Safeway. Look for a sliced loaf to make this recipe truly a breeze to prepare.

The Best Brioche French Toast Recipe | Valerie's Kitchen (3)

One note – be sure to remove the little strip of paper from the bottom of the slices before dipping in the egg custard as directed in the recipe. It might seem obvious but when you’re moving quickly first thing in the morning, it can be easy to miss!

The Best Brioche French Toast Recipe | Valerie's Kitchen (4)

For the simple egg custard I recommend using whole milk. There’s more body in whole milk than reduced fat milk which makes for a richer custard that will adhere to the bread and yield a better result.

To further enhance the buttery-sweet brioche, I like to add a touch of sugar and vanilla extract to the egg mixture.

For one recipe of French toast it’s easy to cook it in batches in a large skillet on the stove but when I’m cooking for a large group I like to double this recipe, using two loaves of brioche, and cook it on my counter top electric griddle. To make it easier to coat several pieces of bread at once, whisk the egg custard together in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish

The Best Brioche French Toast Recipe | Valerie's Kitchen (5)

I cooked up some yummy chicken breakfast sausage (also a Trader Joe’s item) and served it with warm pure maple syrup and fresh berries.

I think I can speak for most mom’s out there that this would be a very delicious way to start Mother’s Day.

The Best Brioche French Toast Recipe | Valerie's Kitchen (6)

Looking for more breakfast or brunch inspiration? Check out my entire collection of breakfast recipes including my Muffin Tin Hash Brown and Scrambled Egg Cups, Easy Crustless Quiche Bake and Oven Roasted Breakfast Potatoes.

The Best Brioche French Toast Recipe | Valerie's Kitchen (7)

Brioche French Toast

5 from 138 votes

Thick-sliced brioche dipped in a sweet egg custard creates the most tender, buttery, luxurious French toast ever! Serve this Brioche French Toast with fresh berries and warm maple syrup for an easy but elegant breakfast.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Keyword: breakfast, brunch, french toast

Print RecipePin RecipeRate Recipe

Prep Time:5 minutes minutes

Cook Time:20 minutes minutes

Total Time:25 minutes minutes

Servings: 5

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 10 slices brioche
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup, warmed
  • fresh berries, for serving

Instructions

  • Whisk the eggs in a low shallow dish – a pie plate works well – or if you’d like to coat several pieces of bread at once, use a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Add the milk, sugar and vanilla extract and whisk again until well combined.

  • Add 1 tablespoon butter to a 12-inch to 14-inch skillet and place over MEDIUM heat. Meanwhile, place one slice of brioche into the egg mixture and turn to coat both sides. When butter has melted and begins to foam, add the coated brioche. Dip and transfer as many pieces of brioche that will comfortably fit in the pan without touching. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and then flip the bread and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the other side.

  • Transfer the French toast to a platter and keep warm. If you don’t have a warming tray, place the French toast on a baking sheet and transfer to a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

  • Wipe down the skillet with a paper towel and repeat the process with remaining butter, bread, and egg mixture.

  • Serve immediately with warmed maple syrup and fresh berries.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 531 kcal · Carbohydrates: 58 g · Protein: 13 g · Fat: 27 g · Saturated Fat: 15 g · Cholesterol: 272 mg · Sodium: 448 mg · Potassium: 169 mg · Sugar: 23 g · Vitamin A: 1060 IU · Calcium: 138 mg · Iron: 1.3 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.

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FAQs

Should I dry out brioche for 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.

Why is my brioche not fluffy? ›

To make a perfect brioche, it is essential to knead the dough thoroughly: this gives the dough its elasticity. If the kneading is not done correctly and the dough is not kneaded enough or is kneaded too much, this will affect the texture of the brioche.

Should you leave bread out overnight for French toast? ›

Ideally, the bread should be slightly stale. A drier bread will soak up all the custard. Bread can be left out with the wrapper open the day before cooking. If you find yourself in a pinch, dry your bread slices in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes before soaking them in the custard.

Why does brioche need to sit overnight? ›

Overnight Proof: By letting the dough rise slowly in a cold environment, it not only develops more depth of flavor, but also gives you more flexibility with the timing of baking the loaf. Cold brioche dough is also much easier to work with!

How to elevate your French toast? ›

A pinch of cinnamon and some vanilla extract are standard upgrades—and a little sugar never hurts either. (Consider this when choosing a sweetener: Powdered sugar will dissolve well, leaving you with a smooth custard, while brown sugar will create a lovely caramel flavor as it cooks.)

Why is restaurant French toast so much better? ›

Restaurant French toast is generally a superior product because of time. Letting it soak in the custard for up to five minutes allows more delicious dairy to be absorbed. This step is where having stale bread is essential. Using soft fresh bread will take on too much custard and become a mushy mess.

Should French toast have more eggs or milk? ›

Whatever you decide on, the ratio of liquid to egg will still be about ¼ cup liquid to one egg, and one egg per two slices of bread. So, if you want to make four slices of French toast, you would need four slices of bread, two eggs, and ½ cup milk. How's that for an easy recipe?

How does Martha Stewart make French toast? ›

Directions
  1. Preheat oven and beat eggs: Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in the middle of the oven. ...
  2. Beat in other liquid ingredients: Beat in liqueur, sugar, large pinch of salt, and orange zest and juice. ...
  3. Prep baking sheets; dip brioche into egg mixture: ...
  4. Bake: ...
  5. Broil; repeat with remaining slices: ...
  6. Serve:
Jan 22, 2024

Can I eat French toast left out overnight? ›

The Two-Hour Rule

Havern explains: "The maximum amount of time perishable foods can [spend] in the danger zone is two hours. At two hours, the food must be consumed, stored correctly, or thrown away. This includes all cooked leftovers, [chopped] fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products."

How to tell if French toast is done? ›

Griddle or bake it

This allows you to sear the French toast without burning it, while ensuring it's fully cooked in the center. "You know when your French toast is done when the center is set and doesn't have a runny consistency once cut," Oliveira says.

How do you keep toast from getting soggy? ›

Fortunately, there's an easy way to prevent that sogginess and keep your bread just as crisp as it is when it comes out of the toaster. All you'll need to do is take two freshly toasted slices of bread, stand them up on an angle, and balance them against each other so that the two slices resemble the sides of a tent.

How do you make brioche less dry? ›

Here are some pointers for avoiding a dry, crumbly brioche:
  1. The dough must contain sufficient water. ...
  2. Always mix the dough first, then mix in the butter. ...
  3. Use only bread flour. ...
  4. Keep butter and dough cool. ...
  5. Knead the dough long enough to make it smooth and shiny. ...
  6. Avoid overmixing the dough once the butter is incorporated.
Jan 21, 1986

How to avoid soggy French toast casserole? ›

It could be because of the bread you used. If the bread you start with is too soft (such as white sandwich bread), it won't absorb all of the wonderful custard that it should, and it might end up soggy. If you find yourself with a soggy casserole, for whatever reason, try baking it a bit longer until it firms up some.

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