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Baked French Toast

(recipe, Cara Eisenpress & Phoebe Lapine)

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Ingredients

1. 3 cups milk
2. 6 eggs
3. ½ tsp. salt
4. 6 Tbsp. maple syrup
5. 6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) butter, melted and cooled slightly
6. 2 tsp. butter, at room temperature, for the pan
7. 1 loaf challah or brioche, cut into 10 to 12 slices (about 1½ inches thick)

Steps

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, salt, maple syrup, and melted butter.
2. Butter a baking pan that is large enough to fit all the bread slices. (You'll probably need a 9-by-13-inch pan plus possibly a smaller square or round pan. Improvise!) Arrange the bread in it.
3. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, flipping each piece to make sure it's submerged. Let rest for 1 hour at room temperature, or longer (even overnight) in the fridge.
4. About 20 minutes before you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
5. Bake the French toast for 25 minutes, or until the bread is golden and crusty and the slices are cooked through (cut open and peek if you're not sure).
6. Serve with maple syrup and confectioners' sugar, and pass a bowl of Berry Compote.

Note

Culinate editor's notes: Depending on the size of your challah or brioche, you may need 1 1/2 to 2 loaves of bread. You can also replace some or all of the milk with buttermilk.