If you are one of those people with a passion for both staying in bed as late as possible and eating brunch — strata is the only one for you. It can be assembled the night before, so all you have to do is pop it in the oven an hour before the meal is served. That’s plenty of time to pat your hair down, set the table, and make a pot of coffee.

As the name implies, a strata is a layered affair. In this version, we tear up bits of sourdough boule, scatter it over a pan, and then add layers of lush, salty prosciutto, tangy goat cheese, and melty provolone. To break up some of that creaminess, there’s a layer of peppery, sweet basil and aromatic leeks — the perfect mild onion for the sleepy breakfast palate. Repeat all those lush layers, top with a frothy mix of Dijon mustard, milk, and eggs, and into the fridge it goes.

In the night, whilst you are sleeping, the eggs and milk will seep into the bread. Not all of the bread, just some of the bread. This is wonderful: in the oven, the wet bits bake up custardy and soft, while the dry bread gets toasty and crispy. In between, there are big pockets of meat, herbs, and soft, fluffy, melty cheese.

Strata makes a heavenly brunch, but we’d eat it any time. In the test kitchen, it rolled out of the oven a little later in the day, and so our tasters took dainty snack-size portions … and then came back for seconds and thirds. It’s a hit! Serve it with fruit or a green salad, some kind of breakfast-y cocktail — like a raspberry mimosa — and plenty of coffee.

Servings: 10

Ingredients

1 small sourdough boule, torn into bite-size pieces, divided

6 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced, divided

8 oz chèvre, crumbled, divided

4 oz provolone, grated or sliced, divided

½ cup leeks, chopped, divided

6 Tbsp basil, chopped, divided

5 large eggs

2 cups whole milk

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp salt

Black pepper, to taste

3 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions

1. Line the bottom of a glass baking dish measuring 9 x 13 inches with one layer of the sourdough boule.

2. Arrange half of the prosciutto evenly over the bread. Sprinkle half of the cheeses on top of the prosciutto, and then add half of the leeks and basil.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2, and then top with a final layer of bread.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, Dijon mustard, and salt. Season with black pepper.

5. Pour the egg mixture over the layered bread mixture, then press down on the bread with a spatula.

6. Drizzle the melted butter over the bread and egg mixture.

7. Cover the strata with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

8. To bake the strata, preheat the oven to 350°.

9. Uncover the strata and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

10. Bake the strata until no liquid seeps out when a knife is inserted into the center, about 1 hour. Remove the strata from the oven, and set aside.

11. Preheat the broiler, then place the strata under the broiler until the top is golden brown, about 30 seconds, and remove from heat.

12. Cut the strata into large squares and serve.

Recipe adapted from: Food52

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