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french toast bake
adapted from michelle lopez's recipe in the book weeknight baking

overnight french toast bake with marmalade and orange

orange flavoured overnight french toast bake for a crowd adapted from a recipe by Michelle lopez from hummingbird high
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Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: european
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound stale challah or brioche cut into inch stick slices approx 8 slices
  • unsalted butter softened (enough to butter each slice)
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups (16 oz) whole milk
  • 1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup (2.5 oz) tightly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp demerara sugar
  • 8 tbsp marmalade (a tablespoon spread onto each slice of bread)
  • zest of one orange finely grated

Method
 

Soak the bread
  1. Grease a 9x13 inch cake tin, or any large baking dish you like. I used a round one.
  2. Butter each slice of bread.
    Spread marmalade onto each slice and arrange in tin so it overlaps slightly.
  3. In a large bowl whisk the eggs together until light and frothy.
  4. Add milk, cream, vanilla, sugar, salt, cinnamon and orange zest and whisk together until combined.
  5. Pour mixture over the bread and cover and leave to absorb over night in the fridge. (alternatively you can make this in one day and leave to soak for 20 to 25 minutes)
Baking
  1. Position rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 180c 350f.
  2. Uncover the bread and sprinkle over 1 tbsp of the demerara sugar evenly over the top.
  3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden and puffed up and set in the middle.
  4. I covered it with foil after 40 minutes because of the way i positioned the bread standing up.
  5. Once baked, add the remained 1 tbsp of demerara sugar and blow torch to brulee, alternatively leave this step. Serve immediately with a dollop more marmalade and some cream if you desire. Left overs are lovely as a dessert warmed up with some ice cream.
Add ins
  1. You can also add some roughly chopped dark chocolate for a chocolate and orange combination.