Sourdough French Toast Casserole With Ricotta And Lemon
This sourdough French toast casserole with ricotta and lemon is a delicious and easy-to-make breakfast for busy mornings. Super filling and nutritious, this breakfast casserole is the perfect way to use your leftover sourdough bread.
As this French toast casserole can be made ahead of time, you can enjoy a warm breakfast without any effort on the day. You just put it in the oven to bake and then enjoy.
This sourdough casserole can serve up to eight people, which can be a great way to feed a large family. You can also double it, or triple it if you wish.
My family loves this breakfast casserole so much, that I bake extra loaves of sourdough bread just to make sure I have enough for this.
If you do not have sourdough bread, you can use any bread instead. The sourdough makes it extra special.
I like this sourdough French toast casserole crispy on the outside. To make sure it comes out perfect, I only use hard-crust bread (I like to make French boule or artisan bread for this) that is a few days old. If you prefer a soft exterior, you can use softer bread like brioche or sandwich bread.
What makes this sourdough French toast casserole special?
It has to be the creaminess and freshness of the ricotta cheese and lemon zest combined. I added a touch of maple syrup to bring those sweet flavors to the next level. Each bite perfectly blends sweet and fresh, creamy and crunchy together. A delicious way to start your day!
Ingredients needed for the sourdough French toast casserole:
- Ricotta cheese
- Sourdough bread (I used leftover sourdough boule, but any hard-crusted sourdough bread would work)
- Whole milk
- Eggs
- Lemon zest
- Maple syrup
- Icing sugar
- Vanilla extract
How to make the sourdough French toast casserole with ricotta and lemon:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F).
Make the custard ricotta filling:
- In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the lemon zest.
- Add in the icing sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Next, mix in the eggs and the milk and whisk well.
Assemble the casserole:
- Cut the sourdough loaf into cubes and arrange them on a single layer in your casserole dish.
- Pour the ricotta and lemon custard mixture on top of the bread. Make sure it covers every piece of bread.
Bake the casserole:
- Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake until golden brown on top and the custard filling is set.
- Once the French toast casserole is ready, take the dish out of the oven and sprinkle it with icing sugar. This is optional though.
Pro tip:
- 10 minutes before you finish baking, use a spoon or a spatula to gently push the bread in the custard filling, to avoid burning the edges of the bread.
- Can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Just take it out of the fridge half an hour before baking to bring it to room temperature.
More delicious recipes to try:
Sourdough French Toast Casserole With Ricotta And Lemon
Equipment
- 9 x 13 inches (23 x 33 cm) Casserole Dish (mine is 2.5 inches deep)
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread (I used a 1 kg / 2.2 pound boule)
- 500 g ricotta cheese (approx. 17.63 oz or 2 and 1/4 cups)
- 240 g whole milk (approx. 1 cup)
- 4 eggs
- 200 g icing sugar (approx. 1 cup)
- 100 ml maple syrup (approx. 1/3 cup)
- lemon zest from one lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F).
Make the custard ricotta filling:
- In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the lemon zest.
- Add in the icing sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Next, mix in the eggs and the milk and whisk well.
Assemble the casserole:
- Cut the sourdough loaf into cubes and arrange them on a single layer in your casserole dish.
- Pour the ricotta and lemon custard mixture on top of the bread. Make sure it covers every piece of bread.
Bake the casserole:
- Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake until golden brown on top and the custard filling is set.
- Once the French toast casserole is ready, take the dish out of the oven and sprinkle it with icing sugar. This is optional though.
Pro tip:
- 10 minutes before you finish baking, use a spoon or a spatula to gently push the bread in the custard filling, to avoid burning the edges of the bread.
- Can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Just take it out of the fridge half an hour before baking to bring it to room temperature.
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