Buttermilk French Toast Bake Recipe

One square slice of French Toast Bake with bacon and eggs on top, on a gray plate.

5 from 1 vote

This Buttermilk French Toast Bake comes with built-in sides of bacon and eggs. You'll get a little of each in every bite. You can prepare some of the recipe ahead, and your brunch guests will be swooning for more.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Refrigeration2

Total Time2 50

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: best recipes with eggs, great for brunch, Mother's Day Brunch Recipes

Servings:

Calories: 475kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

Ingredients

1½ cups buttermilk
½ cup pure maple syrup
8 large eggs, divided
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (approx. 20-inch) baguette (approx. 11½-ounces)
6 strips bacon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Make soaking mixture. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the syrup, 2 of the eggs, vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk until it's very smooth, then pour it into an approximately (8 x 8 x 3-inch) baking dish.
Prep bread. Cut the baguette in half in the middle. Now cut each half in half lengthwise. (You may need to cut smaller pieces off to get all of it to fit snugly in the pan.)
Soak. Add the bread to the dish with the buttermilk mixture, and carefully press it down until it's completely submerged. Then flip each one over. Add a layer of plastic wrap directly on top, and then cover the dish with another layer (completely, from the bottom, so it doesn't spill).
Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. (The longer you leave it, the more like bread pudding it will be.)
Cook bacon. While the bread is soaking, add the bacon to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook until it's just beginning to become brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Remove it from the pan and set it aside to drain on a paper towel. (It should be slightly undercooked, and will finish cooking in the oven later.)
Set oven. When you remove the soaked bread from the refrigerator, adjust a rack to to the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
Assemble. Gently flip each piece of bread over in the dish. Don't worry if they break apart a little. Then drizzle the entire surface with the melted butter.
Break the partially cooked bacon strips into smaller pieces, and arrange them on top.
Bake, add eggs. Place the dish in the preheated 375°F oven. Bake for 15 minutes. (If it's not already, make sure the top surface is as even as possible -- you can flatten it a bit with a flat-bottomed spatula. This way the eggs will cook evenly.) Crack the remaining 6 eggs on top of the bacon, so that they are spread out evenly. Continue to bake until the eggs are cooked, about 20 to 30 more minutes. If at any point the bacon is becoming too dark, loosely lay a piece of foil on top.
Remove and let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

Nutrition