Extra eggs keep oven-baked French toast from going soggy

Most bakers will tell you by the time the New Year rolls around the last thing we want to do is bake. After creating all those holiday cookies, candies and cakes, my list of resolutions often includes a vacation from the oven.

Yet I do enjoy celebrating New Year's Day with family and friends and have learned that the secret to surviving the last holiday of the season lies in how you approach the challenge. The key is to bake smarter rather than harder.

A few years back I attended a brunch that featured an overnight baked French toast. The dish caught my attention.

An oven-baked entree that's easy on kitchen time, doesn't involve dough popping out of a tube and maintains my baker's reputation, fits my criteria for a great New Year's brunch.

However, the overly sweet caramel sauce baked under the bread shocked my taste buds. Still intrigued, I asked a few questions and came away with the basic recipe. A few tweaks later, I had a recipe I could jump for joy about.

Oven-style French toast begins with thick slices of stale bread soaked in an egg custard mixture and baked until lightly browned and set. While most recipes call for a heavy textured French bread, other sturdy varieties such as brioche and challah easily meet the texture requirements.

Many versions of baked French toast go down a very sweet pathway, offering guests an all-in-one entree that includes the sugary syrup condiment baked in the pan. Caramel, crème brûlée and streusel French toasts are examples of recipes on this theme.

It sounds like a good idea, but the dominant nature of sugar takes control here. More importantly, everyone's palate holds a different tolerance for sweetness. By offering only an ultra-sweet version of baked French toast like the one I sampled, you actually limit the culinary possibilities.

My recipe remake starts by crossing off the ingredient list any sweet sauce or sugary streusel that bakes with the bread. Instead, I recommend offering a selection of syrups, fruits or nut toppings so guests can garnish to their own tastes. With that resolved, I turned my attention to the all-important custard mixture.

After an initial test, I learned a few lessons: First, to avoid the bread sticking, use a nonstick baking pan or a well-buttered glass or ceramic dish. Second, don't waste time whisking the egg mixture by hand. A blender quickly whips the custard ingredients into a smooth liquid.

The chief complaint people have about some oven-baked French toast is soggy bread texture, so to tighten up the custard I increased the eggs and reduced the milk. Keeping the amount of half-and-half at 1 cup preserved the creamy taste and smooth texture.

Last but not least, the custard needed a touch of sweetness to balance the rich tastes of egg and cream. A half cup of light brown sugar provides the sweet note with just a hint of caramel from molasses.

Did I mention the best part of this recipe? You assemble it the day before, refrigerate it, and put it in the oven when you wake up. Brew a pot of coffee or make a Bloody Mary and catch a few minutes of the Tournament of Roses Parade until the timer goes off.

Now that's a holiday recipe we can all celebrate.

• Annie Overboe, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, lives in Villa Park. Write her at Baking Secrets, Daily Herald Food section, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or food@dailyherald.com.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Recipe</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=260638">Easy Baked French Toast <span class="date">[12/29/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>