Baked French Toast

Baked French toast is ideal for a crowd.

Hosting brunch? This recipe feeds 8-10 people and requires little to no day-of prep. I like to serve it with fresh berries, buttermilk syrup and dollop of whipped cream.

1 loaf of cinnamon swirl, sliced 1″ thick
1 loaf of brioche, sliced 1″ thick
8 large eggs
1 c. half-and-half
1 c. milk
1 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 pinch of salt

Generously grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Arrange the slices of bread in two rows, overlapping the slices and switching between cinnamon swirl and brioche.

Combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt, and whisk until well combined.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over all the bread slices. Using a spoon, pour the mixture between the slices to ensure every piece is coated. Cover with foil, and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the French toast for 40 minutes–you’ll know it’s done when the bread has doubled in size.

Baker’s Note: Once cooked, the dish will be a mix between French toast and custard-y bread pudding.