Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Toast (View Print Version)

Tangy sourdough and juicy blueberries baked in a zesty lemon custard for bright morning flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread & Fruit

01 - 1 loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 14 oz)
02 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
03 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Custard

04 - 6 large eggs
05 - 2 cups whole milk
06 - ½ cup heavy cream
07 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt
10 - Juice of 1 lemon

→ Topping

11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
13 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

# Method:

01 - Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange sourdough cubes evenly in the dish and scatter blueberries and lemon zest over the bread.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon juice until fully combined.
03 - Pour the custard evenly over the bread and berries, pressing down lightly to ensure all bread absorbs the mixture.
04 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for best results.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
06 - Drizzle melted butter over the surface. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly on top.
07 - Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
08 - Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally with maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sourdough's natural tang plays beautifully against bright lemon and sweet blueberries, creating layers of flavor that feel fancy without any fuss.
  • You can assemble it the night before and simply bake it in the morning, which means extra sleep and still impressing whoever stumbles into your kitchen.
  • It's foolproof enough for a casual weekday but elegant enough to serve at brunch when people are actually paying attention to what they eat.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time in the refrigerator—I learned this the hard way when I tried to bake it immediately and ended up with bread that was still slightly crunchy in spots because it hadn't absorbed enough custard.
  • The center will appear slightly underdone even when it's perfectly baked, so trust the gentle jiggle test rather than trying to make it completely firm, or you'll end up with a dense, dry casserole.
03 -
  • Cut your sourdough bread the night before and let it sit uncovered on the counter so it's slightly stale and absorbs custard better than fresh bread would.
  • Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest from a room temperature lemon because cold lemons yield less juice and the zest is harder to remove.
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