Overnight French Toast Bake

Name: Overnight French Toast Bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 loaves brioche or challah; 12 large eggs; 4 cups whole milk; 1/2 cup maple syrup; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup chopped pecans; 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Prep tonight, bake tomorrow—a custard-soaked tray for the whole crew.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Serves 12
Difficulty: easy

Assemble the night before, bake in the morning — custard-soaked bread with cinnamon that feeds ten without anyone standing at the stove at 0600.

439Cal

17gProtein

66gCarbs

13gFat

Ingredients

2 loaves brioche or challah
12 large eggs
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Prep the bread: Cube brioche and spread on sheet pans to dry slightly for 30 minutes, or toast lightly at 300°F for 6 minutes. Day-old bread absorbs custard without turning mushy.
Whisk the custard: Whisk eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until smooth. The mixture should look like thin pancake batter.
Assemble and refrigerate: Layer bread cubes in a buttered 9x13 dish. Pour custard evenly, pressing gently so all cubes soak. Cover and refrigerate 8–12 hours.
Bake until puffed: Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Heat oven to 375°F, sprinkle brown sugar and pecans on top, and bake until puffed, golden, and set in the center.
Rest and serve: Rest 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup and berries at the line.

Station workflow

Label the covered dish with bake time and oven temp so the morning cook doesn't guess.
Pull the dish while the oven preheats so the glass or metal pan doesn't crack from cold shock.
Cut in the pan with a serrated knife wiped between rows for clean squares on the line.

Cleanup

Soak the 9x13 while still warm—custard and sugar caramelize on the edges once cooled.
Line sheet pans with parchment when drying bread cubes for one-wipe cleanup.

Leftovers

Wrap squares in foil and reheat at 325°F for 12 minutes until steaming in the center.
Cube cold leftovers into a skillet with butter and pan-fry until crisp edges form for French toast hash.