Fresh Strawberry Baked French Toast with Homemade Strawberry/Raspberry Sauce

Who doesn’t love French toast for breakfast! Growing up, when my dad would get up with my brother and I before school, which was not as often as my mom, we would talk him into making us cinnamon French toast for breakfast! I still love it to this day, and now so do my own kids.

Rather than making them stovetop and on the griddle, oven baked French toast is much quicker and convenient.

I love my cast iron skillets and use them for everything. Whipping up my Strawberry French Toast is a cinch with these.

I made a fresh brioche loaf yesterday and thought I’d slice it up because it makes perfect French toast, sweet, buttery, and tender bread covered in a custard mixture and topped with cinnamon sugar and fresh sliced strawberries...Yes please! 😊

Fresh Strawberry Baked French Toast:

Ingredients:

1 loaf brioche (homemade *see recipe below or store bought)
4 large organic eggs
3/4 cup whole milk or half & half (I used Organic Valley Whole Milk)
2 teaspoons Nielsen Massey Vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
10 Fresh strawberries thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 Tablespoons granulated sugar (mix with the 1/2 tsp cinnamon)

Butter the bottom of a 9" or 10" cast iron skillet or baking dish. Cut brioche loaf into 1/2- 2" slices and lay in pan/dish. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over bread. Layer sliced strawberries over top. In a 2 cup measuring cup or small bowl, add eggs, vanilla bean paste, and milk/cream, whisk with a fork to combine. Pour over the top of bread to coat all pieces. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Place in preheated 350F oven, center rack and bake for 25 minutes, remove aluminum foil and bake for an addition 10-15 minutes or until browned on top and custard mixture is set. Serve with sprinkle of powdered sugar, maple syrup, or my strawberry/raspberry sauce (see below).


Fresh Strawberry & Raspberry Sauce:
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
1/2 pint fresh sliced strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Place water and sugar in a small saucepan over high heat. Continue to stir and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes or until all sugar is dissolved, continue to stir. Take off burner and allow to cool to room temperature. Purée mixture with immersion blender until slightly chunky but mostly smooth.

*Fresh Brioche Loaf- Brioche Dough:

1 1/2 cups Luke warm water (100F or below) I use warm tap water
1 Tablespoon granulated yeast (I use Red Star Platinum)
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
8 Lightly beaten large eggs
1/2 Cup Honey
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) Unsalted butter

Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter with water in a 6-quart bowl or KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Mix in the flour with a spoon, or paddle attachment of KitchenAid until all the flour is incorporated. You do not need to knead the dough. It will be slightly wet and sticky, but once chilled will be easier to handle. Cover with plastic wrap but keep loose as the dough will rise in the fridge. Place in the refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours.

Once fully chilled break off a grapefruit sized piece of brioche dough or 1 1/2 lbs. (this batch will make approximately 3 loaves). Gently knead on floured surface then form into 6 small dough balls, equal size. Butter a loaf baking pan and layer dough balls in pan (3 on the bottom and 3 on top). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Brush top of loaf with egg wash and bake in center rack of 350F preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until browned on top and completely cooked through (200F in center). Remove from oven and let sit for 20 minutes before removing loaf from pan.

*Brioche Loaf Recipe adapted from "The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" book.