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    Home » Sweets & Desserts » Tsoureki Bread-Greek Brioche French Toast

    Tsoureki Bread-Greek Brioche French Toast

    Last updated October 26, 2021. Originally posted September 23, 2021 By Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves. 11 Comments.

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    This tsoureki bread-Greek brioche french toast is a delicious breakfast that couldn't be easier to prepare. It's made with fantastic tsoureki, the greek brioche bread, an aromatic egg custard, and served with warmed honey, blueberries, and walnuts.

    A plate with Tsoureki -greek brioche bread French toast blueberries, walnuts and honey.

    What is tsoureki bread

    Tsoureki is a Greek semi-sweet bread that is made during Christmas and Easter. It is made from a yeast dough of flour, sugar, butter, and milk and is flavored with mahlep, and mastic resin. At Easter, tsoureki is decorated with traditional red eggs. Greeks enjoy it all year round with an emphasis during the holidays. I love dipping it in my coffee. It is excellent and naughty with some Nutella on top!

    Tsoureki is a close relative to brioche and challah bread.

    Brioche is a french bread. It is sweeter than tsoureki and does not have any mastic and mahlep aromas and flavors.

    Challah bread is a part of Jewish tradition. It is a kosher bread and is not made with any dairy, i.e. butter and milk. It is not as sweet as tsoureki but has a very similar appearance and consistency.

    I personally find brioche is much richer than challah and tsoureki.

    Where can I find tsoureki bread?

    Option A. You can make it! Try this fantastic recipe from my grandmother Evgenia.

    Option B. Purchase it. You can find great tsoureki loaves at local Greek grocery stores or online at titanfoods.

    Here is what you need

    Ingredients for Tsoureki bread French toast.

    A loaf of tsoureki bread. The soft slightly sweet bread is ideal for french toast.

    Half and half. You can also use whole milk or heavy cream. The milk will result in a lighter custard, the heavy cream will produce a richer result. Half and half is like the best of both worlds.

    A few cloves, ground nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick. They bring an ideal aroma and flavor to the egg custard.

    Fresh herbs like sage and thyme. I love fresh herbs. My favorite is fresh sage if I only could use one.

    Eggs. Added to the warmed cream to make a light custard.

    Butter. I usually prefer salted butter for everything unless I am baking. Use your preferred butter.

    For serving. You will need warmed honey, crushed walnuts, and fresh blueberries. I love mild-flavored Greek honey with thyme, like Attiki. Orange blossom or and wildflower honey are great with this recipe.

    Substitutions

    • You can easily substitute tsoureki with brioche or challah bread. Results will be sweeter with brioche and not sweet with challah. You can sprinkle some powdered sugar on top of the challah toast if you like, add more honey or both.
    • Almond or oat milk should also work well instead of milk or cream.
    • A teaspoon of ground cinnamon can substitute for a cinnamon stick.
    • Use any type of berries you like for this recipe. You can also use fruits like peaches, figs, bananas, etc.
    • Instead of honey drizzle maple syrup.
    • Pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios even brazil nuts can work well with this recipe.
    A small saucepan with milk, sage leaves, thyme sprigs, cloves, nutmeg and a cinnamon stick.

    Add the half and half, ground nutmeg, cloves, sage leaves, and thyme sprigs, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Let it cool.

    Remove cloves, cinnamon stick, and herbs from the milk mixture. Beat the four eggs and add them to the milk. Stir well.

    Dip tsoureki slices bread in the milk-egg mixture.
    Heat 2 tablespoons of butter on a skillet and fry slices until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side.

    Serve immediately with a drizzle of warm honey and blueberries.

    Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

    A plate with Tsoureki - Greek brioche bread French toast blueberries, walnuts and honey.

    Casserole method

    1. Brush a medium to large baking dish with melted butter. Arrange tsoureki bread slices in the pan, overlapping them if you need them to fit. 
    2. Add the half and half, ground nutmeg, cloves, sage leaves, thyme sprigs, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Let is cool.
    3. Whip the eggs and add to the milk mixture. Pour all over the tsoureki slices, to absorb the milk. Top bread with crushed walnuts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours. 
    4. Heat oven to 350° F. Let the chilled casserole stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. 
    5. Place casserole on the center rack in the oven and bake until browned and set, about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove, let it cool slightly, and serve. 
    6. Cut into serving pieces and serve with warmed honey and blueberries on the side.

    You may also like

    • Fried Egg Sandwich
    • Amazing Tomato Confit With Herbs
    • Quick Pumpkin Stew with Tortellini
    • Tomato Chicken Tortellini Soup

    Check out my Greek pantry staples 

    Cooked this? Rate this recipe! You can also leave a comment below. I love hearing from you!

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    A plate with Tsoureki -greek brioche bread French toast blueberries, walnuts and honey.

    Tsoureki Bread-Greek Brioche French Toast

    by Jenny | The Greek Foodie
    This tsoureki bread-Greek brioche french toast is made with an aromatic egg custard, and is served with warmed honey, blueberries, and walnuts.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe
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    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine Greek
    Servings 4
    Calories 585 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 slices tsoureki bread about ¾ of an inch thick each slice
    • 1½ cup half and half or heavy cream
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 3-4 cloves
    • 1 cinammon stick
    • 3-4 fresh sage leaves
    • 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
    • 4 eggs beaten
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 4 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted

    For serving

    • honey warmed
    • crushed walnuts
    • blueberries

    Instructions
     

    • Add the half and half, ground nutmeg, cloves, sage leaves, thyme sprigs, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Let it cool.
    • Remove cloves, cinnamon stick and herbs from the milk mixture. Beat the four eggs and add them to the milk. Stir well.
      Dip the tsoureki slices in the mixture in batches. Let them soak for 1- 2 minutes.
    • Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter on a skillet and fry slices in batches of two or three until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side.
      Serve with a drizzle of warmed honey, a handful of walnuts and blueberries.

    Notes

    • You can use, low-fat milk, whole milk, half and half or heavy cream depending on your dietary preferences. Plant-based milk will also work well with this recipe if you are avoiding dairy. 
    Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 585kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 16gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 347mgSodium: 811mgPotassium: 189mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1533IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 168mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thegreekfoodie__ or tag #thegreekfoodie__
    Tsoureki Bread-Greek Brioche French Toast
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Konstantina says

      October 16, 2021 at 9:51 am

      5 stars
      Jenny, I used to make this tsoureki french toast every year at Christmas, now, after learning how to make this luscious bread, I make it all the time..absolutely heaven on a plate!!!! Will be trying your version very shortly. Keep your delicious recipes coming, they're fabulously delicious!!!!!!!!!!

      Reply
      • Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves says

        October 17, 2021 at 10:49 am

        Hi Konstantina!

        Thank you so much for your kind words! I love tsoureki too, it is so good. Will be posting my grandma's recipe soon.
        Hope you like the french toast, I find it is a little lighter than the usual versions. Let me know what you think!

        x Jenny

        Reply
    2. Bernice says

      October 18, 2021 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my that is a stunning dish of French toast! I've had brioche French toast before but tsoureki is a new one to me. Also the flavour combination is very intriguing. Cinnamon with sage and thyme seem like a very Greek combination.

      Reply
    3. Liz says

      October 19, 2021 at 1:49 pm

      5 stars
      I love a thicker bread like this for French toast!

      Reply
    4. Linda says

      October 20, 2021 at 11:43 am

      5 stars
      I loved this French Toast! I couldn't find tsoureki and used brioche instead but the combination of the sage and thyme in the egg custard was totally new and delicious. And those nuts with honey put this over the top!

      Reply
    5. Tristin says

      October 21, 2021 at 9:38 am

      5 stars
      This French toast looks SOOO good that I am absolutely determined to hunt down some tsoureki!! Can not wait to try it!

      Reply
    6. Elaine says

      October 21, 2021 at 10:50 am

      5 stars
      Now this is what a real brioche should be. Fantastic recipe that motivates me to wake up every morning 🙂

      Reply
    7. Tammy says

      October 21, 2021 at 2:27 pm

      5 stars
      I love this Mediterranean take on French Toast. It looks absolutely glorious...the warm honey and toasted walnuts are a delicious combo..it's like baklava meets breakfast and I'm here for it!

      Reply
    8. Veronika says

      October 22, 2021 at 8:03 am

      5 stars
      I made this brioche french toast twice already and every time it came out AMAZING! So easy to make and super delicious!

      Reply
    9. Chef Dennis says

      October 24, 2021 at 11:55 am

      5 stars
      I surprised my family with your tsoureki french toast this morning and everyone loved it! What a delicious breakfast!

      Reply
    10. Aya says

      October 24, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      I'm so used to french toasts and wanted a change. This was amazing! The combination of sage and thyme is brilliant, and it felt like I was Greece. I can't wait for your tsoureki recipe! I look forward to learning how to make it at home!

      Reply

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    Hi there!

    I am Jenny, a Greek expat living in the greater New York City area. I like to say I am a beauty art director turned foodie, aka the Greek foodie. Born and raised in Greece, my fondness for good food goes hand in hand with my heritage. My absolute favorite thing to do is cook delicious food to enjoy with family and friends.... Find out more about me here…

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