This baked French toast draws inspiration from baklava. Buttery layers of challah and croissants drizzled with a sweet, sticky honey syrup and delicately spiced nuts make a breakfast casserole worthy of royalty. Rich, aromatic and made for sharing, it’s an easy make-ahead dish for breakfast or brunch parties. Or top with whipped cream or crème anglaise and maple syrup for a decadent dessert.
Baklava French Toast
Ingredients
French Toast
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 227 g day-old challah loaf cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces (approx 5 to 6 cups)
- 4 day-old butter croissants cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- pinch ground cloves optional
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup 35% cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
Nutty Sprinkle
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios chopped
- 2½ tbsp granulated sugar
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Honey Syrup
- ¼ cup liquid honey
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 whole cloves optional
- 1 cinnamon stick optional
Instructions
French Toast
- Use 2 tbsp of the butter to grease 2-litre (8-cup) baking dish. Arrange challah and croissant pieces in an even layer.
- In bowl, whisk sugar with cinnamon and cloves (if using). Whisk in eggs until smooth; whisk in cream, milk, vanilla and salt until smooth.
- Pour egg mixture over bread and press gently to help bread absorb liquid. Let stand, covered, at room temperature for at least 45 minutes. Dot with remaining 1 tbsp butter.
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
Nutty Sprinkle
- In small bowl, combine walnuts, pistachios, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- Bake French toast, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and top with Nutty Sprinkle. Continue baking, uncovered, until French toast is browned on top, puffed and eggs are fully cooked, covering with foil if browning too quickly, 25 to 35 more minutes.
Honey Syrup
- In small pot, bring honey, sugar and lemon juice to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Let cool.
- Drizzle or brush three-quarters of the honey syrup over French toast as soon as it comes out of the oven; let cool 10 minutes.
- To serve, top with more Nutty Sprinkle and drizzle over the remaining syrup.
Tips from the ELLE Gourmet editors
Why is day-old bread is best for baked French toast?
Day-old bread (even a few day-old bread, just not so many days that’s it’s growing it’s own mold colonies) is ideal for baked French toast. Dry bread absorbs more of the egg custard mixture without getting soggy and falling apart. To dry out fresh bread, leave uncovered on a baking sheet overnight. No time for that? Bake the bread pieces in a 325°F oven until dry to the touch, but not golden or toasted, 5 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.
Prep this recipe part way the night before
The recipe instructs to let the bread and egg mixture stand at room temperature for at least 45 minutes. This allows the ingredients to mix and mingle and absorb into the bread. If you’re preparing this for a morning party and don’t want to wake at the crack of dawn, make the recipe to this point the night before and let the bread and egg mixture stand, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the baking dish from the fridge while the oven is preheating to take the chill off.
