Sourdough French Toast Casserole with Apple, Cinnamon, and Raisin

This sourdough French toast casserole recipe is a rich and sweet custard baked with tangy sourdough bread, apples, cinnamon, and raisins for the perfect fall treat. A great way to use up loaves of sourdough bread that didn’t rise just right.

The other day I was on the second rise for two loaves of my go-to sourdough bread recipe. If you’re brand new to the concept, traditionally made sourdough bread can take anywhere from 10-24 hours. It is made without conventional yeast packets, and uses a native yeast-filled starter for leavening.

It’s a very slooooow process.

About an hour before the loaves were all set to go in the oven, my husband brought the pans in. (I ferment them outside in the warmer months, so they rise more quickly.) He casually mentioned, “Oh yeah Eli shoved his hand in this one. I hope that doesn’t mess anything up.”

Well, for my non-bread baking blog readers, a punch in a loaf of rising bread is a death blow for the entire operation.

Fluffy sourdough bread mission aborted. These loaves would still be tasty, but feel more like bricks than blue-ribbon, prize-winning, sourdough bread.

A run-in with a curious kid is not the only pitfall that can derail a bread making mission. I get messages from readers all the time who had various other things go wrong in the sourdough bread baking process.

The starter wasn’t mature enough. They didn’t knead the dough long enough to develop the gluten. They let it rise too long. All this and more.

All is not lost in this situation. There are plenty of recipes that work perfectly for dense, brick-like, sourdough bread.

What to do with a bad batch of sourdough bread

Now I imagine you’re a resourceful home cook like myself. There’s no way those long fermented, gut healthy loaves are going in the trash, even if they’ve been deflated by little hands.

Enter this delicious, brick-redeeming recipe: easy french toast casserole with apple, cinnamon, & raisin.

I guess I have to thank my five-year-old bread-punching son, Eli, for forcing me to think of it. All the flavor, and health benefits, of the sourdough is maintained. It’s a perfect dish for breakfast. Sometimes I even make a pan of it around mid-morning to have it ready to go for lunch.

I love that it is full of protein, gut-healthy fermented grains, and sweetened with natural maple syrup.

Shoot, sometimes I even make this recipe with bread that came out alright. It’s just that good.

Other ideas include: Sourdough stuffing, bread pudding, strata, bread crumbs, and croutons

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Tips:

• This is a perfect way to use up leftover sourdough bread or a bread recipe that doesn’t turn out right.
• A great recipe for Christmas morning, Easter brunch, or even a weekend breakfast.
• I love making this ahead of time, sticking it in the fridge overnight for an easy breakfast for a busy morning.
• Turn it into a dessert by serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Large bowl

Apple Peeler, Corer, Slicer

Measuring Spoons

Thrive Market Raisins and Cinnamon

Organic Raisins

Organic Cinnamon

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The Simple Ingredients

Homemade sourdough bread: My favorite kind of bread is sourdough brioche. You could use a different type of bread. The best bread to use is a softer bread like sandwich bread, French bread, challah, etc. These work better to make a richer french toast casserole recipe. Artisan bread would also work, as well as a loaf that doesn’t work out very well.

Whole milk: I like using full-fat milk because it gives it a richer, more custard like egg mixture.

Maple syrup or honey

Eggs

Cinnamon

Vanilla

Apples, peeled and chopped

Raisins

How To Make Sourdough French Toast Casserole:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the loaf of sourdough bread into one-inch cubes. 

Place the bread cubes in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish or casserole dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Add the chopped apples and raisins to the bread.

Pour the egg mixture over the top of the bread and allow to stand for 10-15 minutes, or place in the fridge overnight covered with plastic wrap to make this into an overnight french toast casserole. The goal is to saturate the bread with the mixture.

Bake for about 30 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown around the edges and cooked through in the center.

Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, whipped cream, or powdered sugar.

This sourdough french toast casserole tastes delicious drizzled with some real maple syrup or raw organic honey.

Variations for the sourdough french toast casserole:

• To make this dish extra special, grab a block of organic cream cheese, cut it into one-inch cubes and toss it in just before baking. This variation is more indulgent and creamy. It’s perfect for a Sunday morning brunch, served alongside fresh fruit.
• Omit the apples and raisins. Instead, add one can (15 oz.) of pumpkin, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg to the egg and milk mixture.
• Omit the apples and raisins. Instead, add in two cups of fresh or frozen blueberries. This variation also tastes great combined with a block of cream cheese (like in the first variation).
• Mascarpone stuffed french toast bake recipe
• Try this cranberry version as well.

Find More Delicious Breakfast Recipes:

• Fluffy Sourdough Biscuits
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
• Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich
• The Best Sourdough Crepes Recipes
• Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels

If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone with your delicious creation.