Sour Cherry Bread Casserole

Ingredients

• 375 gBread
• 250 mlMilk
• 200 mlCream
• 64 gButter
• 9 pcsEgg
• 1 pcsEgg white
• 120 gSugar
• 500 gCherry
• 50 gAlmond
• 0.5 mlAlmond extract
• 2 gLemon zest

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare and soak the bread

   • Preheat the oven to 170 °C (top and bottom heat).
   • Tear the white bread (remove crusts) into chunks and soak in 250 ml whole milk for 10–15 minutes until soft.
   • Pit the cherries if necessary and mix with 80 g sugar; set aside to macerate.
2. 2

   Warm the bread mixture and prep eggs

   • Drain the soaked bread lightly and roughly mash it.
   • Heat 200 ml heavy cream with 64 g butter (do not boil) and stir in the bread until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
   • Separate eggs: keep 9 yolks, reserve 1 egg white for the meringue.
3. 3

   Finish mixture

   • Stir the 9 yolks into the warm bread‑cream mixture, a little at a time.
   • Add 40 g sugar, 50 g ground almonds, lemon zest and 1/4 tsp bitter almond extract (or 1 tbsp amaretto) and mix well.
   • Whip the egg white to stiff peaks (optionally fold in 1 tbsp sugar) and fold gently into the mixture.
   • Fold in the sugared cherries.
4. 4

   Bake and serve

   • Butter an ovenproof dish and pour in the mixture.
   • Bake about 60 minutes at 170 °C until set and golden; cover with foil if browning too fast.
   • Let cool slightly and serve warm, optionally dusted with powdered sugar or with cream.