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A fluffy brioche dipped in a creamy mixture of eggs, milk and vanilla, then pan-fried until golden. And because this isn't a classic French toast recipe, a crunchy shell of crème brûlée-style caramel is added on top, for even more deliciousness.
Let the magic happen as you dip the brioche slices into the egg and milk mixture, impregnating them with vanilla flavours, before baking and browning them in a hot pan. Between the incredible smell and the tantalizing crackle, you'll love this recipe even before you try it!
Get ready to treat your loved ones and make this recipe your breakfast staple when you want to impress with a little effort.
💙 Why you'll love it
- 5 ingredients, it's all the recipe requires, and they're all very basic. Amazing, isn't it?
- No waste - never throw away leftover brioche, that's the rule in my house! Now you can do the same 🙂
- Versatile - you can replace brioche with sandwich bread, baguette, seeded bread, croissants, bagels...
- Perfect for any occasion - Christmas' breakfast (or any breakfast haha), a delicious brunch or a comforting snack!
- Ready within 20 minutes!
- Very easy, almost a cinch. There are just 4 steps: prepare the milk-egg mixture, dip the brioche in it, heat it in the pan and then pass it through the homemade caramel.
🍞 Ingredients
You can find a full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below. Here are a few ingredient notes.
- Brioche - Rich and moist, it's important to use good quality brioche. You can make it yourself or buy it from a bakery or most supermarkets.
- Eggs - ideally pasture-raised organic. You can refer to the Eco Tips I've written on eggs to help you choose the right ones.
- Whole milk - avoid skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, as the fat content of whole milk is higher.
- Vanilla to lightly perfume the French toasts.
- Sugar, to add a touch of sweetness and make the caramel.
✨Customize this French toast brioche
I suggest different ways to personalize this brioche perdue according to your tastes, for even more deliciousness:
- Lemon, grapefruit or orange - add the zest of a lemon, a grapefruit or orange (according to your tastes) to the milk/egg mixture and replace ¼ of the milk with the fruit's juice.
- Coconut or almond shavings crust - after soaking bagel slices, add some flaked almonds or coconut shavings on top, before cooking. You'll end up with a deliciously crispy exterior!
- Coffee inspiration - replace ¼ of the milk with freshly-made coffee.
- Tea inspiration - place the milk in a saucepan, add a bag of your favorite tea and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Hazelnut, almond or coconut - add 1 to 2 tablespoons of hazelnut, almond or coconut powder to your milk/egg mixture to add some flavors.
- French toast Brioche with cinnamon: add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the milk/egg mixture.
🥰Chef's tips
- Use whole milk, as its fat content is higher.
- Don't soak the brioche slices too long in the milk/egg mixture - no more than 15 seconds (and that's the maximum).
- Don't turn up the heat too high - otherwise, the outside of the brioche French toast will burn before the inside is cooked, leaving you with a soggy center.
- Use day-old brioche - fresh brioche absorbs too much of the milk/egg mixture, and can make it soggy.
- If you only have fresh brioche, toast it - it will dry it out and prevents it from getting soggy.
💡Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend making the French toast at the last minute, as it's really quick and easy, and it avoids sogginess. But you can prepare the caramel up to 1 month in advance (if stored properly in the fridge) and the milk/egg mixture the day before, and leave it in an airtight container in the fridge.
To prevent the French toast from getting soggy, use brioche from the day before, or lightly toast fresh it before dipping it in the milk/egg mixture. And don't soak it for too long, no more than a minute.
The brioche slices can be left to air-dry the day before baking. If you don't have the time, dry your brioche slices on a baking sheet in the oven at 300°F/150°C for a few minutes.
The best easy waffles, classic chouquettes (French sugar puffs), grilled bacon, fresh fruit, Benedict Eggs with homemade Hollandaise sauce, stuffed crescent rolls, tomato and runny egg, best homemade granola, eggs, fresh fruit juices, chocolate smoothie bowl, dreamy pancakes, etc…
❄️Storage
Regular brioche French toast can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. But I recommend to only put caramel on the ones you're going to eat, because once it's on, it doesn't keep.
📖 Recette
Brioche French toast with caramel
Ingredients
For French Toast Brioche
- 4 slices brioche one or two days old
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ ⅛ cups whole milk
- 1 pinch vanilla
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For Caramel
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
- Beat the egg yolk, whole milk, vanilla and sugar, then dip the brioche slices in the mixture for a few seconds on each side.
- In a frying pan with a good knob of butter, brown the brioche slices for a few minutes on each side over medium heat. They should be well browned.
- Meanwhile, in a second pan, bring the sugar and water to the boil. Once boiling, put over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until you obtain your caramel (this may take a good quarter of an hour).
- Once the caramel is ready, dip one side of the brioche slices (do this quickly, as the caramel hardens quickly), and leave to cool on a plate. Serve with toppings of your choice: ice cream, whipped cream, fruit, herbs, etc.
Notes
- Don't soak the brioche slices too long in the milk/egg mixture: no more than 15 seconds (and that's the maximum).
- Don't turn up the heat too high: otherwise, the outside of the brioche perdue will burn before the inside is cooked, leaving you with a soggy center.
- Use day-old brioche: fresh brioche absorbs too much of the milk/egg mixture, and can make it soggy.
- If you only have fresh brioche, toast it: the best advice I can give you is to lightly toast each slice before soaking it in the egg/milk mixture. It will dry it out and prevents it from getting soggy.
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