How many of you grew up eating homemade French toast? Me too, me too. Love those memories, but I always felt like something needed to be changed so that 1) the leftover custard batter didn’t go to waste, 2) the process didn’t take so long, and 3) the French toast didn’t turn out to be a pan-fried cinnamon-egg-bread. So… what if I told you that I could share a one-pan, zero waste, indulgent French toast recipe that you could easily make in the oven?! Look no further… or, actually, look just a little further. Scroll down for the recipe, but be sure to review a few important tips before you start cooking!
- USE VEGETABLE OIL COOKING SPRAY!!! I didn’t use it the first time, thinking I could get away with using my Butter Pam Spray… my breakfast became one with the pan… so, just take the extra time to make sure you have the vegetable cooking spray, and your life will be a lot better.
- If your bread doesn’t soak up all the batter initially, don’t panic… and don’t stick it in the oven surrounded by excess batter. When I made this recipe the first time, I made this mistake, and so did a friend that I shared the recipe with. We both ended up with a giant piece of French toast/baked egg. What has worked for me since then, is pouring the excess batter back into a measuring cup and then redistributing it over the bread slices before baking.
Oven Baked French Toast
Quick and easy recipe for a zero waste, oven baked French toast. No need to cook in batches, as all 8 slices go into the oven at once! The result will be a custardy, flavorful, delicious breakfast– fast!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- vegetable oil cooking spray
- 8 slices Brioche bread, or another bread of your choosing (plain white bread may be more absorbent)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp packed brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 c milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º, ensuring that one rack is on the lowest level, and one rack is a bit closer to the broiler.
- Add eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to a medium sized bowl, and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Make sure that the egg has fully incorporated into the blend of vanilla and dry ingredients.
- Whisk the melted butter into the egg mixture, and add milk. Be sure to whisk all ingredients until well combined.
- Coat a large, rimmed baking sheet in vegetable oil based cooking spray, and pour in custard mixture.
- Place bread into the baking sheet, in a single layer, to allow it to begin soaking up the custard mixture. Allow it to soak for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and flip. Allow the other side to soak for about a minute as well, to absorb the remaining custard.
- If the bread doesn't soak in all the custard, just pour the remaining liquid back into a measuring cup or the bowl you used earlier. (Make sure not to spill the bread!) Pour the extra custard back on top of each slice of bread, in small quantities, until you've used it up. Try not to pour it back onto the baking sheet, because we want the bread to be able to soak up everything!
- Cook for 10-15 minutes on the lower rack, until the bottom of the bread is golden brown.
- Move the tray of French toast onto the rack closest to the broiler, and turn the broiler on. Allow the bread to sit under the broiler until it's golden brown on top, up to 4 minutes. Be sure to monitor it the whole time, to avoid burning it! Don't walk away during these final, crucial moments.
- Remove from the oven, and flip the slices. Allow to sit for just a minute or so, and then serve!