Blueberry Sourdough French Toast (Printable)

Tangy sourdough bread layered with blueberries and a cinnamon custard, baked to golden perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread & Fruit

01 - 1 loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (approximately 14 ounces)
02 - 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

→ Custard Mixture

03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
06 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Topping

11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# Method:

01 - Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Spread cubed sourdough bread evenly in the prepared dish and sprinkle blueberries over the bread.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread and blueberries, then gently press the bread down to ensure thorough soaking.
05 - Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight for optimal flavor development.
06 - When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
07 - In a small bowl, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until combined, then drizzle evenly over the soaked bread.
08 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
09 - Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally garnished with maple syrup or powdered sugar.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • You prep it the night before and actually get to relax while it bakes, which feels like cheating at brunch.
  • The sourdough's tanginess plays beautifully against sweet blueberries, creating a flavor balance that tastes way more sophisticated than it actually is.
  • It feeds a crowd without making you feel like you've been standing at the stove for hours.
02 -
  • Don't skip the overnight soak; it's the difference between a bread casserole and a truly custardy, cohesive dish that feels like you spent hours on it.
  • The center will look slightly underdone when you pull it from the oven, and that's exactly right—carryover cooking continues as it rests, and you'll have a creamy center with firm edges.
03 -
  • Use eggs and cream straight from the fridge, and your custard will be silkier and less likely to curdle when baked.
  • If your blueberries are particularly large, cut some of them in half so they distribute more evenly throughout the dish and burst into more pockets of the bread.
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