• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Coley Cooks
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Casseroles
    • Chicken + Poultry
    • Cookies + Bars
    • Drinks
    • Frozen Treats
    • Pasta + Risotto
    • Pies + Tarts
    • Meat
    • Salads
    • Seafood
    • Snacks
    • Soups + Stews
    • Starchy Sides
    • Vegetable Sides
    • Vegetarian Main
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Privacy Policy
×

Home » Recipes » Breakfast

French Baked Toast with Cream and Eggs

Published: Oct 17, 2017 · Modified: Nov 22, 2020 by Coley · This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe

Known as oeufs au plat Bressanne in France, this sinful brunch dish of runny eggs baked with cream soaked toast is far easier to make than it looks.

Known as oeufs au plat Bressanne in French, this sinful brunch dish of runny eggs baked with cream soaked toast is far easier to make than it looks.

It's been an unusually steamy fall here in the northeast with temperatures steadily hovering somewhere around the 80's. Last night was the first night to actually feel true to the season with temperatures dipping into the low 40's. I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I could not welcome it more. As much as I love the warm weather and used to have a real, true hatred of fall, it might slowly be becoming my favorite season. #basicbitch

I think it stems from my ever-growing love for all things cozy. I especially love cozy foods, the ones that warm the house with radiating heat from the oven and pad your body with a little extra insulation for the impending winter months. Roasted chickens, soups, pot pies, slow braises, and anything baked with cinnamon and spice. Cozy food is undoubtedly the best kind of food, which is why most people call it comfort food.

An egg carton with whole eggs and empty shells.Baked eggs and French toast on a shallow bowl with fork and knife.

This dish is as cozy as comfort food can get. It hails from the Alpine region of France where it's known as oeufs au plat Bressanne. I actually made it for the first time in the dead heat of the summer because I just couldn't help myself. I opened up my e-mail one morning to find the recipe in a blast from Saveur magazine, and I couldn't stop drooling. It seemed a bit daunting at first, but after reading through the instructions I thought, "I can make this. And I can make this right now." So I did.

The recipe first has you fry up a few pieces of toast in butter until crisp and golden brown. Top them with hot seasoned cream and carefully cracked eggs, then bake until the whites are just set, the yolks are still runny, and the cream has thickened up into a sauce. That's it. It's rich, it's savory, and it's truly one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted.

Close up of baked French toast and eggs in a cast iron skillet.Vertical shot of a top view of a deep plate with baked French toast and eggs being sliced into.

I knew it was going to be good, but it was actually even better than I thought. And to top it off, it was ridiculously easy to throw together. For something that looks and tastes so impressive, the amount of work and ingredients required to make it are mindbogglingly small. It's no more difficult or time consuming to prepare than your standard breakfast fare of bacon, eggs, and toast. In fact, it might even be easier.

This is a wonderful dish to make for a crowd since it's so easy to scale up (or down for that matter). You can do a lot of the prep ahead of time, then just crack the eggs and bake right before serving. I'm not sure if there's a better brunch dish in existence, but this would also make for a wonderful quick dinner or lunch served alongside a simple green salad.

A deep brown plate with baked French toast and eggs.Knife and fork cutting into baked french toast and eggs on a shallow bowl.

I made only a few slight changes from the original recipe. Saveur's version, inspired by 20th century food writer Elizabeth David, calls for day-old crusty white bread, but I didn't have any on hand. What I did have was soft, pillowy sliced Brioche, so I went with it, and it worked. We fell in love with it's slightly sweet, buttery flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Since I opted to use soft bread, the instructions to rub a cut garlic clove all over the hot griddled bread (like bruschetta) didn't work out so well. Instead, I sliced the garlic paper thin and let it simmer in the cream to infuse it's flavor. I suppose you could fish the garlic out before topping the bread if you like, but we adore garlic in this house so I opt to leave it in. I also added a bay leaf because I love it's subtle herbaceous flavor when paired with cream. The bay adds such a lovely extra dimension and is exactly what the original recipe was missing.

The French always have a way of transforming humble ingredients into some of the most etherial, mouthwatering food you can imagine, and this dish is a perfect example. I hope you cozy up with a plate of it sometime very soon.

FRENCH BAKED TOAST WITH CREAM + EGGS | Easy + Impressive French Breakfast. Rich, decadent, satisfying buttery toast baked with cream and topped with eggs. amazing! #french #toast #breakfast #brunch #eggs #recipe | ColeyCooks.com

One Year Ago: My Mamma's Eggplant Parm, How to Make Beurre Blanc
Two Years Ago: Whole Roasted Chicken with Herbs, Butternut Squash, Kale, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Frittata, Flounder Meuniere
Three Years Ago: Kitchen Update
Four Years Ago: Nutella and Bananas in Phyllo

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Top view of a cast iron skilled filled with baked French toast and eggs.

French Baked Toast with Cream and Eggs

  • Author: Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com)
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: breakfast
  • Method: baked
  • Cuisine: French
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Known as oeufs au plat Bressanne in France, this sinful brunch dish of runny eggs baked with cream soaked toast is far easier to make than it looks. Adapted from Kat Craddock. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
  • 2 pieces thick sliced bread such as brioche 
  • 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to to 375 degrees.
  2. Butter each piece of bread on both sides using one tablespoon for each.
  3. Heat a large oven proof skillet over medium-high heat then add the bread. Cook until toasted and golden, turn, then cook until golden on the other side. Repeat with the other slice of bread, then arrange the bread slices side by side in the pan.
  4. Add the cream to a small saucepan along with the garlic and bay leaf, then bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the garlic if you're sensitive (I prefer to leave it in). Pour two tablespoons of hot cream over each slice of bread.
  5. Carefully crack two eggs over each piece of bread, being very careful not to break the yolks. Pour the remaining cream over the eggs, then transfer to the center rack of the oven.
  6. Bake until the whites are just set but the yolks are still runny, about 13 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle with chives and more freshly ground pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

Keywords: easy, rich, baked, eggs, cream, toast, French, chives, brunch, breakfast,

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @coleycooks on Instagram and hashtag it #coleycooks

More Breakfast

  • Stuffed French Toast with Berries
  • Easy Cinnamon Rolls
  • Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts
  • Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes (Video!)

STAY IN THE LOOP! Sign up for my newsletter to get recipes and tips delivered straight to your inbox.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Danielle

    October 17, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    I showed this to Toby. We've got all the stuff on hand, too. He says can we have bacon with it? ????

    Reply
    • Coley

      October 19, 2017 at 12:21 pm

      I like that Toby. Always bacon is what I say. Why even question it?

      Reply
  2. Bruno

    October 17, 2017 at 3:28 pm

    Lucky for me I've spent about six weeks in the desert southwest and a good deal of that time hiking mountain trails in and around Lake Mead National Park. I say 'lucky' because I just fell in love with this recipe and plan to make it for my best girl when I return to our little island on Sunday AM. The luck part comes with losing three pounds while here so I can enjoy this baby with no regrets! Thanks for what looks like another great recipe to add to my box. And - not for nothin' - girl, your photog skills are really impressive. I'm always amazed that you do your own shots. Gorgeous work.

    Reply
    • Coley

      October 19, 2017 at 12:22 pm

      That sounds amazing Bruno! You've earned this dish for sure. Wish I could say the same for myself. I hope you love the recipe! It's definitely a keeper. 🙂

      Reply
      • Bruno

        October 30, 2017 at 1:27 pm

        Concerning oeufs au plat Bressanne. We had my wife's childhood friend from New England visit this weekend and I thought that this might go well as a late breakfast/early brunch. I was wrong - it went far better than well. A really superb recipe and one that will get used again - and not just for company. (and not for nothing - it goes great with Prosecco...but then again, doesn't everything?) With a selection of fresh strawberries and melon - a perfect late morning meal. Oh - did you know that your Pistachio Crusted Barramundi recipe got picked up by Epicurious? And with attribution to Coley Cooks which is even better! That was dinner last night and was equally well received. Thanks for a terrific weekend menu, kiddo. Keep 'em coming.

        Reply
        • Coley

          October 30, 2017 at 1:54 pm

          I'm so glad to hear all of this Bruno!! Thanks for following up. 😀

          Reply
  3. Sabrina

    October 18, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    My mouth is watering. Nice one, Nicole!

    Reply
    • Coley

      October 19, 2017 at 12:21 pm

      Thanks Sabrina! Hope you try it!

      Reply
  4. Ben Myhre

    October 19, 2017 at 11:11 am

    This looks like a super interesting recipe.... one I know I am gonna have to to try.

    Reply
    • Coley

      October 19, 2017 at 12:20 pm

      Thanks! I have a feeling you're going to love it.

      Reply
  5. Karly

    October 19, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    SWOON. I've never tried ANYTHING like this before, but I've gotta say I am beyond inspired. Looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Coley

      October 19, 2017 at 1:42 pm

      Thanks Karly! I am fairly certain you'll love it. I mean, what's not to love?!

      Reply
  6. Johnny Builes

    February 25, 2018 at 6:09 pm

    This breakfast dish was incredible and EASY to make. We currently have garlic oozing out of our pores, but this was so heavenly .

    Reply
    • Coley

      February 28, 2018 at 8:49 pm

      You're on fire lately! Haha. So glad you made this one. It's easily one of my favorite new recipes of the past year. The garlic breath is ALWAYS worth it IMO!

      Reply

Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and review! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Hey! I'm Nicole Gaffney, but my friends all call me Coley. You should, too! Or call me Nicole. Whatever. Just don't call me late for dinner.

About Nicole Gaffney

Subscribe to my Newsletter for all the latest recipes!

Looking for something in particular?

Summer Recipes

Overhead shot of a long white plate with four red and yellow tomatoes with breadcrumbs on top.

Easy Baked Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Overhead shot of a platter of tomatoes with fried onions on top.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese and Fried Shallots

A white ramekin of Tzatziki Sauce with pita triangles in the background.

Easy Homemade Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Clams with Bacon, Tomatoes + Jalapeños | ColeyCooks.com

Clams with Bacon, Tomatoes + Jalapeños

overhead shot of a platter with crab cakes and lemon wedges on top

Easy Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

Close up of a pile of steamed crabs and corn on the cob.

Steamed Crabs Maryland Style

Salads

Overhead shot of a platter of tomatoes with fried onions on top.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese and Fried Shallots

overhead shot of grilled halloumi and peaches with arugula, jalapeños and honey lemon vinaigrette

Grilled Halloumi + Peaches with Arugula, Jalapeños and a Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

A plate of spinach salad with a fork and a hand

Warm Spinach Salad with Pancetta + Goat Cheese

Thai flavored papaya salad piled up on a blue plate with a fork.

Thai Green Papaya Salad

Oval serving platter with a fork next to green bean tuna salad with lemon wedges.

Italian Tuna + Green Bean Salad

Top view of a serving bowl with raw corn and nectarine salad.

Raw Corn + Nectarine Salad

Fruit Based Desserts

Ricotta Gelato with Pistachio and Fig

Ricotta Gelato with Pistachio and Fig

Husk Cherry Torte

Ground Cherry Torte

Top view of a strawberry rhubarb shortcake on a white plate.

Bourbon + Vanilla Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcakes

Passion Fruit Pop Tarts

Passionfruit Pop Tarts

A spatula lifting out a slice of blueberry peach crostata.

Blueberry Peach Crostata

Brown Butter Pear Pandowdy | ColeyCooks.com

Brown Butter Pear Pandowdy

Vegetable Sides

Blue dinner plate of escarole and olive salad next to a large serving bowl.

Escarole with Olives and Capers

Roasted Beets with Avocado Habanero Crema

Roasted Beets with Avocado Habanero Crema

Lightened Up Creamed Spinach (Video!)

Lightened Up Creamed Spinach

Celery Root Remoulade (Video!) + An AMAZING French Culinary Vacation Giveaway!

Celery Root Remoulade

Fork next to roasted zucchini rounds.

Zucchini alla Scapece

Easy Shaved Asparagus Salad (Video!)

Easy Shaved Asparagus Salad

Seafood Recipes

Clams with Bacon, Tomatoes + Jalapeños | ColeyCooks.com

Clams with Bacon, Tomatoes + Jalapeños

overhead shot of a platter with crab cakes and lemon wedges on top

Easy Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

Close up of a pile of steamed crabs and corn on the cob.

Steamed Crabs Maryland Style

overhead shot of a bowl of pasta with clam sauce

Linguine alle Vongole - Pasta with Clam Sauce

a white plate with shrimp, lemon and bread

Easy New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

A bowl of lobster bisque with a spoon

Lobster Bisque

The Art of the Smoothie Bowl Cook Book is Out NOW!! Click the photo above to order.

Footer

Nicole Gaffney, aka Coley, is a professionally trained chef, recipe developer, tv host and food writer. Learn More about Coley…

Stay Connected!

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2022 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme