Sourdough French Toast Casserole

This sourdough French toast casserole is one of the most delicious and most versatile breakfasts that I’ve ever tried! It’s a sweet and satisfying spin off of my other delicious recipe, Maple Cinnamon Sourdough Bread. And while this is of course most delicious with that bread specifically, you can adapt this to use your favorite bread recipe, or even a store-bought bread! Also, the best French toast toppings to make it seasonally enjoyable are below. Keep reading to see how to make the best sourdough French toast casserole that you’ve ever had!

Why Sourdough French Toast

In my post about how to make a sourdough starter, you can see how many benefits there are to using sourdough in your recipes as opposed to commercialize yeast!

The colony of yeasts in a sourdough starter is a natural probiotic, making it gut healthy. It is also much easier to digest because the grains (flours) are partially broken down, which leaves less work for your digestive system to do!

In addition to these benefits, sourdough contains a variety of vitamins such as calcium, magnesium, folate, potassium, niacin, antioxidants, and more.

And of course, one of my favorite benefits is…it tastes so much better! Now that I’ve had sourdough bread as part of my regular meals, I don’t think I could ever go back to store-bought bread. It just lacks flavor and personality. Give sourdough a try, and you won’t regret it!

Supplies Needed

For Making the Bread

• Bowls: I use the bowls from my glass bowl set.
• Spatula: I prefer a silicone spatula for this recipe.
• Measuring cups and spoons: These measuring cups and these measuring spoons are my favorite.
• A baking pan or dish: I use my stainless steel baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper, but you can use a well-oiled 9”x13” baking dish or bread loaf pan instead if you’d like.
• A cooling rack: I use this black one, but you can use anything that you have.
• A rolling pin: I use a wood rolling pin, but you can use whatever you like.
• Optional but helpful: Using a pastry brush and a bench scraper are helpful but not required.

For Making the Casserole

• A small pot: Use a small pot for cooking the filling.
• Spatula: I prefer a silicone spatula for this recipe.
• A small bowl: I use the bowls from my glass bowl set.
• Whisk: Use a whisk for beating the egg filling.
• A baking dish: Use a large baking dish (such as a 9×13” dish) for baking the casserole.

Ingredients

For the Maple Cinnamon Sourdough Bread

• Sourdough starter: Fed and active (not discard). Learn how to make a sourdough starter here.
• Salt: I use fine sea salt.
• Filtered water: At room temperature.
• All-Purpose flour: I prefer unbleached all-purpose flour.
• Coconut oil: Or other neutral-flavored oil of your choosing, as long as it is liquid at room temperature.
• Pure maple syrup: I use organic pure maple syrup.
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Egg

For the Sourdough French Toast Casserole

• Maple Cinnamon Sourdough Bread (ingredients above): Prepared and baked.
• Salted butter
• Brown sugar
• Eggs
• Milk
• Vanilla Extract

Directions

Use the directions for the Maple Cinnamon Sourdough Bread to fully prepare and bake the loaf of bread.

Dice the bread loaf into approximately 1 inch cubes.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together until melted and uniform. This will take about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until combined.

To assemble the casserole, pour the butter and brown sugar mixture into the bottom of a buttered baking dish.

Next, top with the diced sourdough bread. Do not stir the casserole.

Finally, pour the egg and milk mixture over the top of the bread. Do not stir the casserole.

Allow to soak for about 10 minutes before baking. Or optionally, store in the refrigerator overnight for baking the next morning.

Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes, until bubbly and cooked through.

Note: If you are baking from the fridge, allow the dish to come to room temperature beforehand, so as not to shatter the glass baking dish.

Serve warm with maple syrup, and enjoy!

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! You can assemble this sourdough French toast casserole up to 1-2 days before baking. Be sure to store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it.

Substitutions

• You may substitute a regular (homemade or store bought) loaf of bread for the one called for in the recipe. If you substitute a plain loaf though, consider adding an extra 1/4 cup of brown sugar to the butter mixture and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon to the egg mixture before assembling the casserole. This will make up for the cinnamon and sweetness lost from the bread substitution.
• You may substitute white sugar instead of the brown sugar if desired.
• For a creamier casserole, you can swap half and half instead of the milk.
• In a pinch, you can omit the vanilla extract without a significant loss of flavor.

Spring French Toast

To make a spring French toast, make the sourdough French toast casserole as stated in the directions, but then top it with a lemon custard and fresh lemon zest after baking!

Summer French Toast

To make a summer French toast, make the sourdough French toast casserole as stated in the directions, but top it with a selection of fresh berries before or after baking!

Fall French Toast

To make a fall French toast, make the sourdough French toast casserole as stated in the directions, except stir half a can of pumpkin puree into the butter and brown sugar mixture before assembling and baking!

Christmas French Toast

To make a Christmas French toast, make the sourdough French toast casserole as stated in the directions, but top it with fresh cranberries and orange zest before or after baking!

Be sure to pin the recipe for later!