Baked Orange Pecan French Toast

8 servings Prep: 15 m Cook: 30 m Total: 2 h 45 m Beginner
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Baked Orange Pecan French Toast
Take our classic pein paurdue (lost bread aka French Toast), add orange juice, pecans, and a warm orange syrup and you have another great addition to your recipe collection. This wonderful breakfast treat is perfect for holiday mornings or Sunday brunch.

Ingredients

8 servings
  • 4 eggs
  • 2/3 cup orange juice
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 8 bread slices 1/2 inch thick
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • ORANGE SYRUP
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup orange juice

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. In a medium glass bowl, beat together eggs, juice, milk, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. In a glass casserole dish, arrange bread in a single layer, top with egg mixture. Refrigerate two hours or overnight. Note you are not cooking the bread in this dish.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a 10x15x2 inch baking pan and arrange the soaked bread slices on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with pecans and bake 10 minutes more until golden brown.
  3. Orange syrup: Combine the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup orange juice in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat - do not boil. Cool for 10 minutes and serve warm over the French toast.
  4. Variation: Around Christmas, instead of using milk, I substituted eggnog and omitted the nutmeg. The family loved it! See also Christmas Eggnog French Toast.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Can I make this ahead completely?

A: The soaking step should be done 2 hours to overnight ahead, but the baking is best done fresh. You can prep everything the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning.

Q: Can I use day-old bread?

A: Absolutely! Day-old bread or even slightly stale bread works perfectly for French toast because it soaks up the egg mixture better without falling apart.

Tips and Techniques

Use thick-cut bread (1/2 inch slices) - Texas toast or French bread works great. Don’t skip the refrigeration time; it allows the bread to fully absorb the custard mixture. Toast the pecans lightly before adding for extra flavor.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • milk: eggnog
  • orange juice: apple cider or pineapple juice
  • pecans: walnuts or almonds

Equipment Needed

  • Medium glass bowl
  • 9x13 glass casserole dish (for soaking)
  • 10x15x2 inch baking pan
  • Medium saucepan
  • Whisk

Historical Context

Pain perdu literally means “lost bread” in French - a traditional way Cajun cooks used up day-old bread by soaking it in eggs and milk. This baked version makes it easy to serve a crowd for Sunday breakfast or holiday brunch.