Crème Brûlée French Toast (Printable)

Brioche slices soaked overnight in vanilla custard, baked with caramel bottom, and finished with torch-caramelized sugar topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread

01 - 1 loaf brioche or challah, sliced 3/4-inch thick (about 1 pound)

→ Custard

02 - 6 large eggs
03 - 1 1/2 cups whole milk
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Caramel Layer

08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
09 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
10 - 2 tablespoons corn syrup

→ Brûlée Topping

11 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar

# How-To Steps:

01 - Melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbling. Pour mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread evenly.
02 - Place bread slices in a single layer over the caramel, arranging them slightly overlapping if necessary to fit the dish.
03 - Whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl until completely smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour the custard mixture evenly over all the bread slices. Gently press down on the bread with a spatula to help it absorb the liquid.
05 - Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours to allow the bread to fully absorb the custard.
06 - Preheat your oven to 350°F. Remove the dish from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature while the oven heats up.
07 - Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is puffed and golden brown, and the custard is completely set.
08 - Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before adding the sugar topping.
09 - Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over the entire surface. Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar until golden and crispy. Alternatively, place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
10 - Serve warm, spooning any extra caramel sauce from the bottom of the dish over each portion.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Overnight soaking means you wake up to breakfast practically ready
  • The burnt sugar crust creates that satisfying crackle against soft custard
  • Looks impressive but requires mostly hands-off time
02 -
  • Brioche or challah can be found in most bakery sections, but day-old versions actually work better for absorption
  • The overnight rest is not optional, the bread needs that time to fully soak through the center
  • Sugar under the broiler goes from perfect to burned in seconds, stay right by the oven
03 -
  • If your bread is fresh, toast the slices lightly for 5 minutes before soaking to help them absorb without getting mushy
  • Set your kitchen torch to a medium flame and keep it moving, holding it too long in one spot creates hot spots

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