Spring Brunch Strawberry French (Printable)

A baked custard dish featuring strawberries, brioche, and a cinnamon-sugar topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 1 loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
02 - 6 large eggs
03 - 2 cups whole milk
04 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Fruit

09 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

→ Topping

10 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
11 - 1/4 cup brown sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

→ Finish

14 - Powdered sugar for dusting, optional
15 - Maple syrup for serving

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Arrange bread cubes evenly in the prepared baking dish. Scatter sliced strawberries over the bread layer.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Pour custard mixture evenly over bread and strawberries. Gently press down to ensure all bread pieces absorb the custard.
04 - In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add cold butter cubes and work the mixture with a pastry cutter or fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
05 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.
06 - Cool for 10 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar. Serve warm with maple syrup.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in one dish, so you can actually enjoy your guests instead of flipping toast at the stove.
  • The custard soaks into every corner while the streusel topping gets wonderfully crispy, creating this perfect contrast of textures.
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when really you spent twenty minutes assembling it.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 10-minute rest after baking or the whole thing will fall apart when you cut it, no matter how set it looks.
  • The bread cubes need to be roughly the same size so they soak evenly, and brioche works so much better than regular sandwich bread because it's forgiving and luxurious.
03 -
  • Use bread that's a day or two old rather than fresh, because it holds the custard better and won't turn mushy.
  • Don't skip pressing down the bread gently after pouring the custard, and wait a few minutes before adding the streusel so the bread starts absorbing liquid and sets into place.
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