This is one of many bread casserole-type recipes that I have up my sleeve. The basic method of layering day-old bread with countless combinations of ingredients and allowing it to soak in a mixture of eggs and milk is my number one go-to make-ahead meal!
For this recipe, the bread is layered with a mixture of apples and raisins that have been seasoned with pumpkin pie spice and cloves, then soaked overnight in a mixture of eggs and milk that have been seasoned with cardamom, cinnamon, and vanilla. In the morning, halfway through baking, raw sugar is sprinkled on top, and it’s finished with a quick broil to give it that burnt sugar flavor and texture that we so love about brûlées.
Makes 12 servings
Prep: One day in advance
Ingredients
Butter, for greasing
1 day-old baguette, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups apples, chopped (I use a combination of Granny Smith and Gala)
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
6 eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup raw sugar
Directions
The day before:
Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
In a large bowl, combine the apples, raisins, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cloves. Mix until well incorporated.
In a separate bowl with a spout (I like to use a quart-sized measuring cup), beat the eggs with the granulated sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla. Pour in the milk and mix well.
Layer half of the bread onto the bottom of the baking dish, followed by half of the apple and raisin mixture. Repeat with the other half of the bread and apple/raisin mixture. Mix the egg and milk one more time and pour it all over the top of the dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The day of:
Remove the dish from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, remove the dish from the oven, uncover, and sprinkle the 1/3 cup of raw sugar on top. Increase the temperature to 400°F. Return the dish, uncovered this time, to the oven and cook for another 25 minutes.
After the last 25 minutes, switch the oven to broil to allow more of the sugar layer to melt, about 4 to 5 minutes. Watch it carefully so that the bread doesn’t burn.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. (If you happen to have a kitchen torch, you can use it to brûlée any spots that the broiler didn’t get.)
Visuals
In a large bowl, combine the chopped apples, raisins, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cloves. Mix well. I use a combination of Gala and Granny Smith apples, and I like to leave the peel on to give the dish some color.
In a one-quart measuring cup, beat the eggs with the granulated sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla.
Pour in 2 cups of whole milk. For a richer custard, use half and half or heavy cream.
Layer half of the bread on the bottom of your greased baking dish.
Layer half of the apple/raisin mixture on top.
Repeat with the remaining bread and apple/raisin mixture.
Give the egg mixture another stir, then pour it all over the top of the strata. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow it to soak into the bread.
The next day, remove the dish from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 25 minutes, then uncover, sprinkle the raw sugar on top, and return to the oven to cook at 400°F for another 25 minutes.
After the second 25 minutes of baking, switch the oven to "broil" to allow more of the sugar to melt on top.
Serve warm!
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