French Toast Strata

 

One of my favorite breakfast foods is French Toast.  Life without??  NOT an option!!  I would have French Toast all day long everyday if I could!  I love them that much! Gluten free living has some elevated challenges for the avid french toast lover as a result of less than light bread, not to mention how easily Gluten Free bread would fall apart while being coated in the eggs and milk.  To avoid both of these issues, I have modified the way I made the bread. This dish has been a great alternative to enjoying the traditional French Toast as the world knows them.  In the end you are even able to smother your dish in whatever toppings you enjoy on your French Toast allowing you to feel like you are not missing out on anything!


As a note, I make this recipe in two shifts.  Making and preparing the bread the night before, and the rest, the day we eat it.  The bread recipe makes twice as much bread as you need for the recipe, so I cube all of it and save the second half for next time.

Bread

3/4 cup Rice Flour

1/2 cup Sorghum Flour

1/2 cup Tapioca Flour

1/2 cup Amaranth Flour

1/4 cup Vanilla Pudding (I use Jell-O brand Sugar and Fat free; it is Gluten and Dairy Free)

3 TBSP Freshly Ground Flax

3 tsp Gelatin

3 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum

1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Ascorbic Acid

2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

1/4 tsp Ground Ginger

1/8 - 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

* * * *

2 TBSP Coconut Oil (or butter)

2 Eggs

2 cups Water

1 tsp Orange Extract

1) Mix all of list one in a Medium to large mixing bowl.

2) Form a well in the dry ingredients and put eggs in and lightly beat them before adding the remaining ingredients and mixing til just moistened.

3) Spread dough out on a large greased cookie sheet or other sheet, so that dough is about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. I usually place a baggy over my hand or cover dough with saran wrap and push the dough around on the tray til it is evenly distributed.

4) Bake 350 for 20-23 minutes.

5) Let cool fully and then, using a pizza cutter, cut into 1 inch cubes.  At this point you can separate the bread into two equal parts (about 4 cups each) , put half in a freezer bag for next time, OR double the recipe.

In another bowl, Small to Medium sized, whisk together the following:

6 eggs

3/4 cup Coconut Milk or Cream

1/2 cup Rice Milk

3/8 cup (or 6 TBSP) Agave Nectar or other mildly flavored syrup

1 1/2 tsp Orange Extract

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Salt

6) Pour egg mixture over the top of the bread (4 generous cups cubed) still in its bowl attempting to get all the bread coated by egg mixture.  DO NOT MIX.  Then turn right around and pour everything into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.  This will aid in making sure all cubes are coated in the mixture without the need of moving the bread, thus preventing the bread from breaking and forming a dish of mush.
7) Sprinkle sugar over the top. 

8) Bake 350 for 40 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
9) Serve and drizzle with real Maple syrup or your favorite berry compote.