Brioche Recycle

A lot of bread has gotten stale on my counter as a result of this bread class I'm taking. I get so excited to take some extra bread home to try later, but I can't seem to get around to finishing it before it physically transforms into a brick. Not even with my roommate Amanda's help. A week or so ago I had a loaf of challah and a loaf of brioche from school plus a loaf of challah from work that was going to get thrown out during passover. I made French toast a couple times before I discovered a recipe for something called bostock in my trusty Tartine Bakery cookbook.

Bostock is billed as better than French toast, which I'd say is arguable at best--the only similarity is the use of old bread. Slices of rich dough get slathered in simple syrup and coated with apricot jam and the rest of my apricot pastry cream from Easter weekend and topped with almonds. Amanda and I ate several slices for dinner the other night, still steaming hot from the oven (we could really wait until they cooled). The bread had regained its lost moisture, and with crunchy outside edges, the bostock was a bit pastry-like.

Apricot Bostock:
syrup:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (skipped this)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest

day old brioche slices
apricot jam
apricot pastry cream (or frangipane cream)
sliced almonds

Combine syrup ingredients in a saute pan and heat until sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

Slice the brioche and arrange on a parchment paper-line baking sheet. Brush with simple syrup. Spread on the apricot jam and pastry cream. Sprinkle on the almonds. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes until the bread is toasted.