Description
Paula Deen’s baked French toast delivers a comforting breakfast experience with rich, custardy bread layers. Crisp edges and golden-brown surfaces promise a memorable morning meal you’ll savor with pure delight.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 large eggs
- 1 loaf (454 g/1 lb) French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
- 2 cups (473 ml) milk
- 1.5 cups (355 ml) half-and-half cream
- 0.75 cup (170 g) butter
- 2 tsps (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1.33 cups (270 g) brown sugar
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) light corn syrup
- 0.25 tsp (1.2 g) ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preparation: Generously coat a 9×13-inch ceramic baking dish with butter or cooking spray, arranging French bread slices to completely cover the bottom surface.
- Custard Fusion: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, half-and-half, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon until a smooth, homogeneous custard forms.
- Moisture Infusion: Pour the custard over bread slices, ensuring complete saturation. Seal the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, allowing bread to absorb the liquid thoroughly.
- Temperature Calibration: Remove dish from refrigerator, letting it reach room temperature while preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Caramel Creation: In a small saucepan, combine unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, and light corn syrup. Melt over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes glossy and bubbles develop around the edges.
- Topping Application: Evenly distribute the hot caramel sauce across the soaked bread, ensuring complete coverage.
- Baking Process: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, watching for a golden-brown surface with slightly crispy edges.
- Serving Presentation: Allow the dish to rest for 10 minutes after removing from the oven. Garnish with fresh seasonal berries and serve warm, accompanied by maple syrup or additional caramel sauce.
Notes
- Overnight Soak: Refrigerate the bread in custard for 8-12 hours to ensure maximum flavor absorption and create a luxurious, pillowy texture.
- Bread Selection: Use day-old, thick-cut French bread for optimal moisture retention and a rich, custardy interior.
- Caramel Precision: Stir caramel mixture constantly to prevent burning and achieve a smooth, glossy consistency that coats the bread evenly.
- Temperature Control: Allow the dish to reach room temperature before baking to ensure even cooking and prevent potential cracking or uneven texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 396
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 472 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 232 mg