Soft Overnight French Toast Bake

Steps

1. 1.

   1.

   Prep The Pan** Grease a 23×33 cm baking dish with butter. Scatter bread cubes in an even layer. Slightly stale bread works better than soft sandwich bread here.

2. 2.

   Whisk The Custard

   Whisk eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth. No streaks of egg white left. Pour evenly over the bread. Press cubes down gently so they soak.

3. 3.

   Chill Overnight

   Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, up to overnight. The bread should feel heavy and saturated by morning. If a few tops stick up dry, spoon custard over them before baking.

4. 4.

   Bake Soft Overnight French Toast Bake

   Heat oven to 175°C (350°F). Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake uncovered 35–40 minutes until the center is set and the top is golden. A knife in the middle should come out mostly clean, not wet custard.

5. 5.

   Rest Briefly

   Let it sit 10 minutes. It firms up and slices cleaner. Brush with maple if you want shine.

6. 6.

   Serve

   Dust with powdered sugar if you like. Serve warm with more maple or berries. Leftovers reheat fine but the top softens.