French Toast Recipe
French Toast bread pudding, lemon maple ricotta, walnuts, olive oil, maple syrup, powdered sugar
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Bread Pudding Base
Lemon-Maple Ricotta
Toppings & Finish
Method
Bread Pudding Base
Prep bread
If bread is fresh, preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread brioche or challah cubes on a baking sheet and toast for 8–10 minutes until slightly dried but not browned. Allow to cool. If bread is already stale, skip to next step.
Make custard
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and sea salt until smooth and homogenous.
Soak bread
Place bread cubes in a large shallow baking dish (9x13 inch or similar). Pour the custard over the bread, pressing gently so most cubes absorb liquid. Let sit 20–30 minutes at room temperature, stirring once halfway to ensure even absorption. If you prefer a fully-saturated pudding, cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight.
Pan and bake
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Dot the surface lightly with the 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or brush the baking dish with butter. Bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is golden, puffed, and a knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and allow to rest 10 minutes.
Lemon-Maple Ricotta
While the pudding bakes, combine ricotta, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, powdered sugar (if using), and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Stir until smooth but still slightly textured. Taste and adjust sweetness or lemon to preference. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Toppings & Finish
Toast walnuts
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and toast, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes until fragrant and slightly darker. Remove to a plate to cool. While still warm, toss walnuts with 1 tablespoon olive oil to coat lightly (this brings out flavor and gives shine).
Plate and garnish
Spoon or slice warm French toast bread pudding onto plates. Dollop 2–3 tablespoons of lemon-maple ricotta on each portion. Scatter toasted olive-oil–coated walnuts over the top. Drizzle with warm maple syrup (about 1–2 tablespoons per serving) and, if desired, a small pat of butter. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.
Serving suggestions
Serve warm. Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 10–12 minutes or in a microwave until warm.