Stuffed Chocolate Hazelnut French Toast Bake with Strawberries and Banana Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Set the oven rack in the center and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) once you are ready to bake. Butter the 9x13-inch baking dish so the rolls do not stick. Hull and dice the strawberries, cut the banana into rounds, and chop the hazelnuts and candied fruit into small pieces. Grate the chocolate bar over a box grater so you have fine shavings and curls ready to scatter.

Whisk the custard in advance if you like, but keep it covered in the refrigerator until you pour it. Lay out the brioche rolls, the chocolate hazelnut spread and a spoon so you can fill each half quickly. Having every component measured and in its own bowl keeps the assembly calm and prevents the rolls from sitting too long before they soak.

Instructions

Fill and arrange the rolls

1. 1Prepare the fruit and chocolate
   Hull the strawberries and cut them into small dice. Cut the banana into rounds. Grate the chocolate bar over a box grater so fine shavings and curls fall onto the board, then set everything aside in separate bowls.
   Look for Strawberries are finely diced, banana rounds are even, and chocolate shavings look fine and feathery.
   Tip Chill the chocolate for 10 minutes before grating so it shreds cleanly instead of smearing.
2. 2Fill the brioche rolls
   Halve the brioche rolls and arrange them cut side up in the buttered baking dish. Spread about a generous spoonful of chocolate hazelnut spread on each half, then scatter with chopped hazelnuts and small pieces of candied fruit.
   Look for Each roll half is filled and the dish is evenly packed with no bare spots.
   Tip Press the rolls gently so the filling sits in the crumb rather than sliding off.

At the end of this phase the brioche halves should sit cut side up in the buttered dish, each topped with a generous spoonful of chocolate hazelnut spread, chopped hazelnuts and small pieces of candied fruit. The rolls should look plump and evenly spaced, with the filling visible on every piece and no bare or crowded spots.

The chocolate shavings should be spread lightly over the top so they look fine and feathery. Before you move on, check that every roll has its filling and that none of the candied fruit has fallen off the bread.

Pour and soak the custard

3. 3Make the egg custard
   Whisk the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth and evenly colored. Transfer the custard to a glass pitcher for easy pouring.
   Look for The custard is pale golden, smooth and fully blended with no streaks of egg.
   Tip Strain the custard if you see any stringy bits of egg white.
4. 4Soak the bake
   Pour the custard evenly over the rolls, moving the pitcher slowly across the dish. Scatter the strawberries and banana over the top, then press lightly so the bread soaks up the custard. Let it rest for 20 minutes before baking.
   Look for The bread looks saturated and the custard has mostly disappeared into the rolls.
   Tip Spoon any custard that pools in the corners back over the bread.
5. 5Bake until deep golden
   Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the dish on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and puffed and a knife inserted in the center comes out with moist, creamy crumbs and no wet custard.
   Look for Tops are deep golden, puffed and set, and the dish no longer jiggles in the center.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (egg dishes)
   Tip Cover loosely with foil if the top browns faster than the center sets.

At the end of this phase the custard should be poured evenly over the rolls, and the bread should look deeply saturated and slightly heavier, with most of the liquid absorbed. The strawberries and banana should sit between the layers and look bright and glossy. Press lightly with a spatula to help the bread drink up the custard, and spoon any pooled custard in the corners back over the bread. Before baking, confirm that no dry corners of bread are peeking above the surface and that the dish rests level on the oven rack.

Bake, cool and slice

6. 6Turn out and finish
   Let the bake cool for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a board. Dust generously with powdered sugar, slice it open to show the layers of strawberries, banana and melted chocolate, and drizzle with chocolate sauce before serving warm.
   Look for Slices hold their shape and show glossy layers of fruit and melted chocolate.
   Tip Use a long serrated knife and wipe it between cuts for clean slices.

At the end of this phase the bake should have deep golden brown tops that are puffed and set, with a knife coming out of the center showing moist, creamy crumbs and no wet custard. The edges should look darker and the chocolate should be melted into the layers. After resting about 10 minutes, the bake should hold its shape when turned out onto a board. Dust with powdered sugar and check that the slices look glossy inside before drizzling with chocolate sauce and serving.

Common mistakes

The most common problem is under-soaked bread. If the rolls are not pressed into the custard and given a short rest, the centers stay dry and the filling sits on top of uncooked bread. Another mistake is overfilling, which makes the chocolate hazelnut spread bubble out and burn on the edges of the dish.

Pouring the custard too fast can also leave dry patches; move the pitcher slowly and spoon any pooled liquid back over the bread. Finally, slicing too early can make the bake collapse, so let it rest about 10 minutes after baking before turning it out and cutting it.

How to tell it’s done

The bake is done when the tops are deep golden brown and puffed, and the dish no longer jiggles in the center when you gently shake it. A knife inserted in the middle should come out with moist, creamy crumbs and no wet custard clinging to it.

For food safety, the egg custard must reach 160°F (71°C) in the center to be cooked through. Check with an instant-read thermometer in the middle of the dish; if it reads lower, bake for another 5 minutes and check again. The edges should be firm and the layers should look glossy and well melted when you slice into the bake.

• Egg dishes: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part