Overnight French Toast

Overnight French Toast 

If you have a crowd for breakfast, overnight French toast is a winning idea. Instead of standing over the stove, cooking slice after slice, it bakes in the oven and emerges puffed and golden and ready for a big glug of maple syrup. Try making it with a stale loaf that you forgot to eat amid all the other holiday goodies. A fat brioche, fruit-filled panettone or a braided challah all work well. Stay away from croissants, though: Their chewy interiors are best enjoyed fresh.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for baking dish

1 pound enriched bread, such as brioche, challah or panettone sliced ¾-inch thick

¼ cup golden raisins (optional)

6 large eggs

2½ cups whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

⅓ cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

⅓ cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

Maple syrup, for serving

Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Butter the front sides of the slices of bread and shingle the slices upright in the dish, overlapping as necessary. Nestle the raisins, if using, evenly between the slices of bread but not on top.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt until well combined. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and press the bread gently to absorb. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top. Bake until puffed, golden and set in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. While baking, if the top begins to get too dark, tent with foil. Let stand 10 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with maple syrup.

TIP: I’ve made this and many similar recipes. At this point, i just throw it together at, using what I have.

My top tips, which are necessities to me, are:

1. Use day old bread OR slice&toast 10 mins @275. Fresh bread won’t absorb like stale can.

2. LET IT SOAK OVERNIGHT! Remove from fridge 30-60 mins before baking.

3. DO NOT just pour on top! *Dip each slice into liquid mixture 5ish seconds each side, saturate it*, as you would regular French toast. Assemble into dish & pour remaining mixture over.

*Based on other comments, I cut the liquid in the recipe down to 2 cups, split 50/50 between heavy cream and fat-free milk. I used a 13x9" pan. My bread was challah. Baked for 60 minutes -- it came out perfectly delicious, and my guests were thrilled. I did not have to turn the slices to get good results. I did tent the top with foil after about 45 min -- the tops of the slices got a nice slightly crispy brown by then. I will definitely make this again.

*So many of these overnight egg based casseroles take a long time to cook since they are so thick and cold when first put in the oven. I used a 9x13 pan, and before putting it in the oven, used a spatula to flip the bread over so the wet bottom was now on top. I covered with foil first, baked at 375 for 15 minutes to get the whole thing hot. Then removed the foil and finished baking at 350 for about another 40 minutes. Going to spend December trying out variations with eggnog.

*After reading other comments I was very nervous that it would be soggy. It turned out AMAZING! Some things to do: 1. Make the night before in 3qt 9x13 pan - no joke, the liquid needs time to absorb. 2. I cut down the liquid to 2 cups milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. 3. I used brioche bread. 4. In the morning (after 13 hours of soaking) I took off the remaining liquid and RE-poured over the top before baking. 5. I wish we could post pictures but the shingle approach for the bread was perfect.