Brioche French Toast with Macerated Strawberries
Day-old brioche soaked heavy with vanilla custard and browned in butter, topped with strawberries that make their own syrup.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Written
Method
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Toss the strawberries with half the sugar and the lemon juice, and set aside, stirring once or twice, until they turn glossy and pool their own juice.
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Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, remaining sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a wide shallow dish until no streaks of egg remain.
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Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
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Soak each slice of bread in the custard for 20 seconds a side, until it feels heavy and saturated but still holds together.
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Lay the soaked slices in the skillet in batches and cook until deeply golden and crisp at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes a side, adding more butter between batches.
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Serve hot, piled with the strawberries and their juice and a pour of maple syrup.
Notes
Day-old bread is the one non-negotiable here — fresh brioche is too soft to hold a real soak and turns to paste in the pan, while bread that’s sat out overnight has firmed up enough to drink in the whole custard without falling apart. If your loaf is still fresh, cube or slice it and let it dry out on the counter for a few hours first.
The strawberries need nothing but sugar and lemon juice and about fifteen minutes of patience to turn into their own sauce, so start them before the custard and let them sit while everything else comes together. Any soft summer fruit works the same way — peaches, cherries, or raspberries all macerate just as fast.