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Sometimes life gets busy, and our wonderful loaf of sourdough sits in the breadbox a little past its prime for sandwiches or toast. Fear not sweet loaf we have a purpose in mind for you besides feeding the birds. This lovely breakfast dish was inspired by the overnight French toast my grandmother would make for me, but we've made a few improvements for the sake of eating healthier.
Tools you will need to make this recipe:
9x5 loaf pan for a small batch, 9x13 baking dish for a large family
medium or large bowl
whisk
bread knife
measuring spoons
measuring cups
aluminum foil or beeswax wrap large enough to cover your pan securely
Now let's talk about the ingredients.
leftover sourdough bread
butter
eggs
milk
sea salt
cinnamon
cardamom
vanilla extract
maple syrup
powdered sugar
fresh berries
This is so simple and quick to whip up before bed and makes your morning meal prep a breeze without sacrificing nutrition.
Sourdough . . . . . need I say more? Either a classic sourdough loaf made with organic flour, filtered or spring water and a good quality mineral salt, or a sourdough sandwich loaf that adds honey and a high-quality organic oil like avocado, coconut or olive. Even a sourdough brioche that adds eggs and butter will be wonderful in this and provide so much flavor!
The main and most important thing is that it isn't storebought commercial bread labeled as sourdough. Those are not recommended at all. Most all of them depend on commercial yeasts and simply use a "sourdough flavoring" that is completely artificial and highly suspect. Those "breads" are not good for your health the way true sourdough is.
As always use the best quality ingredients you are able to obtain. The closer you can get to the source the better your nutritional content will be. For butter we love to use Kerry Gold unsalted cultured butter and we have found that the version Aldi carries is pretty good too!
If you have your own chickens, you know the value of fresh farm eggs vs grocery store eggs! If you don't have your own coop to gather from look around you and see if you can find someone local that sells their farm fresh eggs or might be willing to barter for them, that's the best! If not, then look for organic free-range eggs at your local grocery.
Our family prefers goat milk as myself and my son have issues with dairy products from cows. We are blessed to have a local farm store where we are able to get fresh milk for now. Eventually we will have our own dairy goats here on the homestead, but we just aren't there yet. Check out your local farmer's markets and see what you can find. If you are blessed to have access to some raw cream instead, USE IT! That will increase the nutrition and be absolutely divine in this dish.
I haven't tried this with coconut, almond or oat milk but I don't see why they wouldn't work as well if you prefer them.
As far as salt goes, we prefer either a Celtic sea salt or Redmond's Real Salt. Himalayan Pink salt works as well. Iodized table salt is NOT recommended.
Cinnamon and Cardamom are warm but mild spices great for baking. If you don't have Cardamom in your spice rack yet you can use Nutmeg instead, just use 1/8 tsp instead of 1/4. We always recommend organic spices as we don't want the chemical residues left over from conventional farming practices.
Make sure your vanilla extract is the real deal and not imitation, it's worth the extra expense.
Get you some real maple syrup to drizzle over this recipe, not the pancake syrups many of us were raised on that is full of high fructose corn syrups, artificial flavorings and preservatives.
Powdered sugar is something I don't use very often because I'm not convinced store-bought versions, even organic, are good for us. However, I do keep a bag of it put back just for times like this to make the meal just a bit special. This is totally not necessary though!
And last but not least, the berries! Fresh and organic is best for this dish but if they are out of season some warmed up homemade jam would be a wonderful substitute! This dish can definitely be served without any berries or jam and be perfectly delicious. It is simply a great opportunity to boost the nutrition at breakfast time.
Are you hungry yet? I just made this yesterday and I'm putting it on the rotation for this next week too! Let's get to it!
First, butter your loaf pan well.
Slice and cube your bread. You need enough to completely fill the loaf pan.
Next crack those eggs and add your milk, vanilla, syrup and spices. Whisk well to combine.
Pour your egg mixture over your bread cubes and toss gently. Make sure all the bread is coated in the egg.
Cover your loaf pan snugly with aluminum foil or a beeswax wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
In the morning pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Bake for 20 minutes with foil on and another 25 minutes with foil removed.
Check to make sure all the liquid is set and cooked through.
Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh chopped berries or warm jam. Enjoy!! Isn't it wonderful to use up every slice of your wonderful sourdough loaf!
RECIPE: OVERNIGHT SOURDOUGH FRENCH TOAST
9x5 loaf pan yields 4-5 servings
9x13 baking dish yields 9-12 servings
Half (Full) loaf of real sourdough bread
butter for preparing pan/dish
6 (12) large eggs
3/4 cup (1 1/2 cups) milk or heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp (1 TB) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (1 tsp) cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1/2 tsp) cardamom
1/4 tsp (1/2 tsp) sea salt
1 TB (2 TB) maple syrup
powdered sugar for dusting
maple syrup for drizzling
fresh chopped berries or warmed jam for topping
First, butter your loaf pan / baking dish well.
Slice and cube your bread. You need enough to completely fill the loaf pan or baking dish you're using.
3. Next crack those eggs and add your milk, vanilla, syrup and spices. Whisk well to combine.
4. Pour your egg mixture over your bread cubes and toss gently. Make sure all the bread is coated in the egg.
5. Cover your pan snugly with aluminum foil or a beeswax wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
6. In the morning pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
7. Bake for 20 minutes with foil on and another 25 minutes with foil removed. If you are using beeswax wrap, leave uncovered for the whole time but keep an eye to make sure it doesn't burn.
8. Check to make sure all the liquid is set and cooked through.
9. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh chopped berries or warm jam.
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
I do not provide nutritional info because we pay more attention to:
sourcing the highest quality Biblically clean ingredients we can find
educating ourselves and others on how these real food ingredients fuel our temple
exercising self-control in our portions instead of gluttony
If you have any known health issues that require a special diet you may need to adjust the recipe as required by your individual needs.
NOTES:
This dish can also be made in a muffin tin to create individual portions, just be sure to butter the tin really well so you don't have a nightmare to scrub out afterwards.
If you enjoy this recipe please leave us a comment, we would love to hear from you!
Have a blessed day walking in the Way!
"And you shall serve Yahuah your Elohim, and He shall bless your bread and your water."
Exodus / Shemoth 23:25