sprinklefingers

i’m still trying to figure out how i thought it was possible for the three of us to eat three loaves of brioche in less than one week.

yes, while packing food for our mini-break, i did indeed pack three (entire) loaves of brioche. now, don’t get me wrong, i love me some brioche…but three loaves of the stuff? even i realize that’s a bit excessive…unless, of course, i was planning to turn them into beach toys of some sort.

with our time away drawing to a close, and with that final loaf of brioche getting ever-staler, i had to figure something out. and then it hit me: french toast! the only problem: i’m at the beach, using someone else’s kitchen. a kitchen containing one tiny 8-inch fry pan and one non-heatproof spatula that has seen quite a bit of heat in it’s day. not exactly the kitchen arsenal i’m used to. and certainly not an arsenal that makes me want to whip up a batch of french toast.

then it hit me. sitting in my car, just waiting for the perfect emergency: a metal 9x13 pan! do i have a pen or a flashlight or a blanket in my car? hell no! but i do travel with emergency bakeware. priorities, priorities.

after a quick trip to the mini-mart (a mini-mart that carries real maple syrup,) i was ready to make breakfast:

baked brioche french toast
or
breakfast brioche bread pudding

this recipe can be called either of the above. or both of the above. i just couldn’t decide what to name it because the top layer of brioche gains a delightful crunch in the oven while the bottom layer can only be described as bread puddingy. oh, wait. that’s a lie. it can also be described as totally delicious.

you need:

• brioche loaf - one that weighs somewhere between 20-24 ounces
• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 c pure maple syrup, preferably grade B
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 2 cups whole milk

make the french toast/bread pudding:

1. preheat the oven to 375.
2. liberally butter a 9x13” pan.
3. slice the bread in approximately 3/4” thick slabs. if your loaf has a particularly rounded top, trim the slabs so that they are nice squares. arrange the slabs evenly in a single layer in the pan.
4. once you have built the first layer, slice the remaining slabs of brioche into two ‘sticks’. arrange the sticks over the first layer of bread, slightly overlapping them as you go.
5. in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs.
6. add the maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and milk. whisk and whisk until everything is completely combined.
7. pour the custard mixture over the bread.
8. let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then gently press down on the top layer of bread with a fork, forcing it to soak up a bit more custard from the layers underneath.
9. pop the entire pan into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until beautifully browned and puffed.
10. serve with plenty of soft butter and warm maple syrup.

i’ll be back tomorrow with some delicious variations for this already delicious dish.
___

look. photographic proof!

brioche sliced and ready for custard:



delicious final product: