Savoury Sourdough Strata with Mushrooms, Spinach and Mature Cheddar
Make-ahead savoury bread-and-egg bake for a crowd — caramelised onions, mushrooms, spinach and melted mature cheddar. Feeds 8, perfect for brunch.
If you need a crowd-pleasing brunch that mostly cooks itself, this savoury strata is your answer. It's essentially a bread-and-egg casserole that benefits hugely from an overnight soak — so you can do the hard work the night before and look like a hero in the morning.
Caramelised onions and browned chestnut mushrooms add depth, spinach keeps it bright, and mature cheddar gives the irresistible melty top. Feed eight, serve with a crisp salad or buttered asparagus for extra glamour.
Ingredients
- 700 g sourdough loaf — stale or day-old, torn into roughly 3 cm pieces
- 8 eggs — large
- 600 ml whole milk
- 100 ml double cream
- 150 g mature cheddar — coarsely grated
- 300 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 250 g brown onion — thinly sliced (about 2 medium)
- 150 g spinach — roughly chopped if large leaves
- 30 ml olive oil — about 2 tbsp
- 5 ml English mustard
- 5 ml sea salt — plus extra to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped, for scattering
Equipment
- 30 x 22 cm baking tin
- frying pan
- grater
- measuring jug
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Grease a 30 x 22 cm baking tin and line the base with a little baking paper for easier lifting.
Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the brown onion with a pinch of sea salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and deeply golden — about 15 minutes.
Push the onions to the side, add the remaining olive oil and increase the heat slightly. Add the chestnut mushrooms and fry until their juices evaporate and they are nicely browned — about 8 minutes. Stir in the spinach for the last 1–2 minutes until just wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs with whole milk, double cream, English mustard, sea salt and plenty of black pepper until smooth.
Scatter half the torn sourdough into the prepared baking tin, then spoon over half the mushroom, onion and spinach mixture and a third of the mature cheddar. Add the remaining sourdough, the rest of the veg mixture and top with the remaining cheese.
Pour the egg-and-milk mixture evenly over the layered sourdough, pressing down gently to help the bread absorb the custard.
Cover the tin with cling film and chill in the fridge to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Remove the cling film, allow the tin to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until puffed and golden and the centre is set when gently shaken.
Leave the strata to rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then scatter with fresh parsley, slice into 8 portions and serve warm.
Tips
- Day-old sourdough is ideal because it soaks without becoming a gloopy mess; if your bread is very fresh, dry it in a low oven for 10–15 minutes first.
- Caramelise onions slowly (low heat, 15 minutes) — rushed onions are the most common flavour failure.
- If you need to reheat, slice and warm individual portions in a 180°C fan/200°C conventional oven for 12–15 minutes covered with foil to stop drying out.
- For a crisper top, remove foil for the last 5 minutes of baking; for extra colour, grill briefly but watch closely.
- Make everything a day ahead: cook the veg, assemble the tin and chill overnight; bake on the morning you serve.
Substitutions
sourdough loaf → day-old white bloomer or stale farmhouse loaf, same quantity
Stays closemature cheddar → gruyère, 150 g
Noticeably differentdouble cream → extra whole milk (use 700 ml milk instead of 600 ml + 100 ml cream)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 541
- Calories
- 23 g
- Protein
- 54 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 650 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — swap the sourdough for a gluten-free stale loaf. Texture will be slightly different but the method is identical.
Can I add cooked sausage or bacon?
Yes — cooked sausages or crisp bacon can be scattered between the layers. This will make the dish non-vegetarian and add salt and fat, so reduce the added salt slightly.
How can I tell when the strata is cooked through?
The centre should be set and not wobble when you shake the tin. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out mostly clean (a little moisture is fine).
Can I assemble and bake the same day?
You can soak for 1–2 hours and bake, but overnight gives the best texture. A short soak will still produce a tasty dish in a pinch.
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