From Start Simple by Lukas Volger
Ingredients
- 6 cups airy bread, torn or cut into bite-size pieces (12 ounces)
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk or unflavored nondairy milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage (more if fresh)
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 300 F.
Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and bake for 14 minutes or until slightly dried out and lightly crips. Skip if using day old, slightly dried bread.
Raise the oven temperature to 375 F.
Beat the eggs, milk, olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the toasted bread, folding with a spatula until well coated. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes as you prepare the mushrooms so the bread has time to soak up the egg mixture.
Place the mushrooms ina food processor and pulse until ground to about the size of small peas, in batches if necessary (or finely dice by hand). Melt butter in a deep skillet over medium heat, then add the mushrooms, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the sage, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring every now and then, until the mushrooms are reduced and a little sludgy looking and the pan is dry — they’ll first soak up the oil, then release their water, and then once the water cooks off they’re ready, 12 to 15 minutes.
Scrape the mushroom mixture into the bowl with the bread and eggs and fold just until the mushrooms are mostly distributed. Wipe out the skillet, brush lightly with oil, then press the bread mixture into the pan. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Transfer to the oven and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.