Baked French Toast

My sister-in-law asked me for this french toast recipe a while back and I totally forgot.  So over the weekend, I was reminded to share.  I love this recipe.  I usually make it when we have lots of people staying over and I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen making breakfast.  This can be prepared the night before and then just thrown into the oven in the morning!  I don’t remember where I got it… someplace.

  • French Toast:
  • 1 loaf crusty sourdough or french bread (you definitely need a hard crust bread for this recipe, I recommend the sourdough)
  • 8 whole eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar (I never use this much sugar I use about 1/4)
  • 2 tbl vanilla
  • Topping: 
  • 1/2 cup all- purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup firmly paced brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
  • fresh fruit (optional)

Grease 9×13 inch pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks and evenly distribute in pan.   Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla.   Pour evenly over bread.  Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.   In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.   Add butter pieces and but into the dry mixture until it resembles fine pebbles (use a knife to mix it up.  If you use a spoon and stir it up it’ll form a paste, which is difficult to spread).  Store in a ziploc in the fridge.   When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350.  Sprinkle crumb mixture over-top and bake for 45 minutes (or 1 hour for a firmer, less liquid texture).  You could also add fruit before cooking as well.