Brioche French Toast Bread Pudding
I can’t think of too many breakfast items that are this indulgent and ridiculously good! Right away, I know what you are thinking….this recipe has some time-consuming steps, but focus on the finish line. Focus on the goodness that will fill your mouth with each bite. Think of this as a two-fer; you get to have breakfast and dessert in one! Having all your ingredients prepped up in advance will help you move through this recipe quickly.
I first tried this recipe using brioche and never looked back. If brioche is unavailable to you, Texas toast will work. Thick-cut slices of brioche bread, spices, zest and flavorings bring this breakfast pudding to a new level. I love using zest in my baking and the orange zest in this recipe compliments the almond extract and vanilla bean paste. The flavors pop-off like fireworks when they come together!
So, how did I come up with this melange of flavors, you ask? I will reference the Culinary Artistry and The Flavor Bible books for you once again. These two books are like the CSI (Culinary Scene Investigators) of flavor profiling! They are immensely valuable as a tool to help expand your flavor vision. After years of practice, I am able to recognize food flavors that make sense together. Blueberries and almonds, just to name one; makes sense together. Orange zest and brioche is also another match made in heaven. Combine all these flavors together and POW! Shouldn’t breakfast always be this amazing? How will you make it different?
Brioche French Toast Bread Pudding
Equipment
- 6 quart casserole dish
- Whisk
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls
- Cutting board & Chef knife
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 36 each large eggs
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 each orange cleaned and zested
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp almond extract
- 2 loaves Brioche pullman or Texas toast cut into thick slices
- 1 lb. unsalted butter or pan spray as needed for cooking French toast
Instructions
- Combine eggs, heavy cream, zest, extract, spices and vanilla bean paste and almond extract together in a large mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine. Set aside.
- Completely submerge bread slices in egg mixture ensuring both sides are coated. Place on a buttered flat top griddle or large, flat bottomed saute pan. Cook until golden brown, flip and repeat.
- Continue cooking all bread slices and place on a large sheet pan to cool.
- You will have left over egg mixture. Save it. This will become your custard mix for your bread pudding.
- Use pan spray to coat the inside of your baking dish. Cut cooked, cooled slices into large chunks and evenly lay out across entire pan.
- Once all the bread is cut and placed evenly on the bottom of your baking dish, pour remaining egg custard mix over bread cubes; covering approximately 3/4 of the way up the sides of the bread.
- Cover with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminium foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.
- Allow bread pudding to cool slightly before cutting into serving portions.
- Serve with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Notes