Galentines Strawberry French Toast (Print Version)

Sweet strawberries and custard-soaked brioche baked with a golden crunchy topping for a festive brunch dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread & Fruit

01 - 1 large loaf brioche or challah, cut into 1-inch cubes (approximately 18 ounces)
02 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

→ Custard

03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - 1 cup heavy cream
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Topping

10 - 1/3 cup brown sugar
11 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
14 - 1/4 cup sliced almonds, optional

→ Garnish

15 - Powdered sugar, to dust
16 - Maple syrup, for serving
17 - Additional fresh strawberries

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Spread half of the bread cubes evenly in the dish. Top with half the strawberries. Repeat with remaining bread and strawberries.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Pour evenly over the bread and strawberries, pressing down lightly to ensure thorough soaking.
04 - Combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in almonds if using.
05 - Sprinkle topping evenly over the casserole. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for optimal flavor development and texture.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove casserole from refrigerator as oven heats. Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes.
07 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden brown and the custard is set.
08 - Allow casserole to cool for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with maple syrup and additional fresh strawberries.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • You can prep this the night before, which means you're actually relaxing on brunch day instead of scrambling at the stove.
  • It serves a crowd effortlessly and looks far more impressive than the effort it takes to make it.
  • The brioche soaks up the creamy custard while the topping gets gloriously crispy—every bite has different textures going on.
02 -
  • Don't skip the overnight chill—rushing this step means you'll end up with crusty bread and watery custard instead of that luxurious soak.
  • Keep the foil on for the first half of baking or the top will brown too fast and the center won't have time to set properly.
03 -
  • Cut your brioche into consistent 2.5 cm cubes so everything bakes evenly and some pieces don't dry out while others stay gummy.
  • Always use cold butter for the topping—warm butter melts into a paste instead of creating those gorgeous crispy crumbs everyone loves.
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