Soft & Golden Brioche French Toast Buns, Crispy Outside, Creamy Inside

Well, if there is one thing I absolutely love, it’s a good batch of French toasts! And look, maybe this isn’t the most technical definition in the book, but for me French toast is basically like the classic Portuguese rabanadas, except instead of being deep fried in a pool of oil, these get cooked in a little butter, or even just a touch of oil. Other than that, the idea is pretty much the same, and honestly the result is just as wonderful!

Now, I’ve made French toast every which way you can imagine, with individual rustic bread rolls, with brioche loaf slices, you name it. But this time I came across these soft little milk rolls at the grocery store, took one bite, and thought, wait a minute, this isn’t regular milk bread, this is basically a mini brioche bun way more rich! That said, any soft, fluffy individual roll will work just fine here, so don’t stress too much about finding the exact same thing.

One important thing to keep in mind, I let the rolls sit out of the bag for a few days to dry out a little, but since these are a bakery product with quite a bit of fat in them, they don’t get as dry as regular bread would. That means it might need a bit more time to dry out and you need to be a little careful when dipping them in the milk, because they soak it up super fast and get too soft very quickly! 😀

And yes i know this is kinda a sweet with more sweet situation! The classic French toast is all about that beautiful contrast between the slightly sweet plain fried bread and the sweet toppings piled on top (same with Portuguese rabanadas where the sweetness comes from the toppings not the bread). And yes, using brioche here does flip that dynamic a little, because you’re essentially starting from a place that’s already pretty rich and buttery and sweet. But you know what? For me, that just makes the whole thing eat like a creamy, indulgent little sweet cake. And sometimes that’s exactly what you want! It’s not a contrast anymore, it’s a full-on sweet celebration, and it makes for a fantastic alternative to the plain bread version when you’re in the mood for something a little more decadent. Also you can’t control the brioche bread sweetness but of course you can control the toppings… So go for it! 😉

As for toppings, I usually go with the classics, a drizzle of honey, a dusting of sugar and cinnamon, or sometimes a little chocolate. But honestly you can serve these with absolutely anything, jams, ice cream, fresh fruit and yogurt, it’s totally up to you and they will be delicious no matter what. Alright, let’s get into it!

Soft & Golden Brioche French Toast Buns, Crispy Outside, Creamy Inside

Servings: 6
Time: 30mins
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: ★★★★★
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What if instead of boring old plain bread, you made your French toast with fluffy little brioche buns? Yeah, that's exactly what we're doing today, and no, you will not regret it one bit! ;D

Ingredients

Brioche Rolls – 6 Small Rolls (50 g each)
Eggs – 2 L
Milk – 500 ml (Semi-skimmed and warm)
Butter – 1 Tablespoon
Honey – To Taste
Sugar – To Sprinkle
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

A few days before you start, take the bread out of the package and leave it out to dry. For regular bread, one day is enough, but for rolls like these (which are naturally higher in fat and therefore take longer to harden), a few days might be better.
When it’s time to make the french toast, start by heating the milk until it’s very hot, but not boiling and pour it into a bowl.
Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and place them in another bowl.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of butter.

Now dip each roll into the hot milk, letting it soak up the milk well (I usually think of the bread as a sponge, if you squeeze it a little, you can tell if it’s well soaked or still dry in the center).
Then quickly dip each one thoroughly in the whisked eggs and place them in the skillet, repeat for all the rolls.

Now fry both sides well until golden brown.

And that’s it, remove from the skillet and serve with a drizzle of honey or whatever you like. Bon appétit and Happy Easter.

Notes & Tips: The drier the bun, the better it soaks. Day old or slightly stale brioche or milk buns will absorb the milk and egg mixture much more evenly, giving you that perfect crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside result. If your buns are very fresh and soft, you really do risk them turning to mush the moment they hit the milk.

Also i got small brioche rolls, but if you can only find a whole brioche loaf, then you can do this recipe as well, just cut the loaf with thick slices 2 days before making this and let them dry off for 2 days, so they will make outstanding french toasts.

Don’t leave the buns sitting in the egg mixture. A quick dip of one or two seconds per side is all you need. The egg is just there to create a little coating on the outside, not to saturate the bread.

Feel free to flavor the milk! A strip of lemon zest or a splash of vanilla extract goes a long way. Just keep in mind that brioche and milk buns already have a little sweetness and flavor of their own, so go easier than if it was plain bread.

Butter is really non-negotiable here. You can technically use oil if you have to, but it’s just not the same. Butter gives these toasts an aroma and a golden color that oil simply cannot match. Don’t skip it if you can help it!

For toppings, the world is yours: honey, cinnamon sugar, Nutella, fruit compote, maple syrup, whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream. These toasts are basically a blank canvas for whatever sweet thing you’re craving that morning. Or afternoon. Or evening. No judgment here! 😀

This recipe for Soft & Golden Brioche French Toast Buns, Crispy Outside, Creamy Inside was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Fatias Douradas Caseiras com Pãezinhos Tipo Brioche foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.