Recipe for the 1899 Inn's Famous Baked French Toast

You know when you open the door and walk into the 1899 Inn that the fresh baked sour dough bread is just coming out of the oven. There’s nothing like the smell of fresh bread!

Breakfast at the 1899 Inn in Deadwood is not just sustenance, it is an experience. We serve our guests in the formal dining room and present the steaming hot entrees, fresh home baked sour dough toast and bright fresh fruit on a set of vintage Marvelle Noritake China. Our coffee is locally roasted by Dark Canyon Coffee and delivered frequently so our guests get the best tasting brew every morning. The coffee is served at the table in vintage coffee urns kept hot with an open flame candle (the only open flames allowed in the 1899 Inn!).

A fabulous hot breakfast is served every morning in the formal dining room at the 1899 Inn in Deadwood.

I am often asked about my recipes and I decided I would share some of them through this blog. The recipe most desired is for our Lemon Blueberry Baked French Toast. I always share but warn that this is one of those recipes that really does require day old homemade sour dough bread. It’s just not the same without it! If you’re not into baking fresh bread I am sure you can find sour dough at your favorite bakery.

1899 Fresh Lemon and Blueberry Baked French Toast

16-20 slices of sour dough bread, torn or cut into pieces to fill about 2/3 of the baking pan

CUSTARD:
8 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups milk
1/2 cup half'n'half
2 T vanilla extract

Juice of one fresh lemon

½ to one cup fresh blueberries

TOPPING:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 stick cold butter

TO ASSEMBLE: 
Grease a 9x13" pan with butter. Spread torn bits of bread in pan. Whisk together all the custard ingredients and pour over the bread. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the bread evenly and add the blueberries making sure every piece will have some. For the topping: mix dry ingredients together. Cut very cold butter into the dry ingredients until it has a texture like pebbly sand. Spread the topping on the bread and custard, then bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. This can be assembled the night before and kept in the refrigerator. Add the topping just prior to baking. Serve with fruit and warm  maple syrup. Serves 10-12.

Voila! This photo shows the recipe without the blueberries, but we have found that when those hot blueberries burst with flavor in your mouth it makes this so much better!

Of course it’s always nicer to be served this delicious breakfast dish so feel free to request it when you make your reservations!

Happy Baking!

1899 Inn Bed & Breakfast, 21 Lincoln Ave., Deadwood, SD

Nyla GriffithComment