Alright, let’s talk about this here… uh… sourdough French toast casserole thingy. My grandbaby showed me this picture on her phone, said it’s all the rage with them city folks. Looks like a fancy bread puddin’ to me, but she says it’s different. So, I figured, how hard can it be? Old Bessie here can whip up anything those city slickers can!
First off, you gotta get yourself some of that sourdough bread. Now, I ain’t talkin’ ’bout that store-bought fluff. I mean the real deal, the kind that makes your jaw tired from chewin’. If it ain’t got a good tang, it ain’t worth a lick. You gotta let it get a bit stale, too. Don’t go throwin’ away perfectly good bread just ’cause it’s a little hard! That’s when it’s best for soakin’ up all that eggy goodness. My grandbaby says you can even make it ahead, like the day before. Says it gives the bread more time to soak. Smart kid, she is. Reminds me of myself when I was younger… always thinkin’ ahead.
- Get yourself a big ol’ loaf of sourdough bread.
- Let it sit out ’til it’s a bit stiff.
- Don’t throw it away if it gets hard, that’s what we want!
Next up, you need eggs. Lots of ’em. I use ’em fresh from my chickens, none of that store-bought stuff. Crack ’em open in a big bowl, gotta be big enough to fit all that bread. Then you pour in some milk. Whole milk, mind you, none of that watery skim stuff. And a bit of sugar. Not too much, just enough to sweeten things up a bit. My grandbaby showed me this thing called vanilla extract. Smells like somethin’ fancy, but I guess it adds somethin’ to it. Whisk it all up real good, gotta get them yolks and whites all mixed together. Make sure you whisk it real good, until it gets all foamy. That’s how you know it’s ready.
Now, for the fun part. You take that stale bread and you dunk it in that egg mixture. Let it soak it up real good. My grandbaby says some folks don’t soak it long enough, and then it’s all dry in the middle. Ain’t nobody want no dry French toast casserole! So, you gotta be patient. Let it sit there for a good while, flip it over, make sure every little piece is soppin’ wet. Then you layer it all in a big ol’ pan. Don’t be stingy, pack it in tight. Any leftover egg mixture, you pour it right on top. Don’t want nothin’ to go to waste.
You can add all sorts of things to it, too. My grandbaby likes to put in berries and nuts. Says it makes it “gourmet”. I just put in some cinnamon, that’s good enough for me. Sometimes, if I’m feelin’ fancy, I’ll throw in some chopped apples. But mostly, just cinnamon. Cinnamon makes everything better, that’s what I always say. My grandbaby also told me you can use different spices like nutmeg or even cardamom if you’re feeling fancy, but I don’t have any of that fancy stuff. And if you want to really make it special, like for Christmas morning or something, she says you can put a streusel topping on it. Butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon… all mixed up and sprinkled on top. Makes it all crispy and crunchy.
Once you got it all layered and sprinkled, you shove it in the oven. Bake it ’til it’s all golden brown and bubbly. My grandbaby says it takes about 30-40 minutes, but I just go by smell. When it starts smellin’ like heaven, it’s ready. Let it sit for a bit before you dig in, gotta let it cool down some. Otherwise, you’ll burn your tongue. And nobody wants that. And you can add whatever you have around! Sometimes I use some leftover sausage crumbles, or even some bacon bits if I’m feeling extra generous. My grandbaby said that people make it on holidays and stuff, which is a good idea too! You can freeze the leftovers too! Just put them on a sheet, freeze ‘em and then put ‘em in a bag. That’s what my grandbaby told me anyway. She said it is a “brilliant thing” to do, whatever that means.
So there you have it, sourdough French toast casserole, made the old-fashioned way. Ain’t nothin’ fancy about it, but it’ll fill your belly and warm your soul. And that’s all that matters, right? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I got a casserole to eat.
Tags: [sourdough, french toast, casserole, breakfast, brunch, make ahead, easy recipe, comfort food, holiday breakfast]
