This french toast casserole with an incredible cinnamon crunchy crust. Prep all the ingredients in advance to make this overnight casserole for breakfast the next day.
Slice bread into 2-inch chunks using a bread knife. Cut the butter into small cubes with a knife.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, liquid whipping cream (or half and half cream) and vanilla extract.
Pour the liquid into the casserole dish and add the bread pieces. Gently stir together so that all bread is covered in the liquid. Spread evenly in the bottom of the casserole dish.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for at least four hours, but preferably overnight. Gently mix the bread halfway through this time.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the topping: add brown sugar, cinnamon, all purpose flour and cut up cold butter pieces to a bowl. Use a pastry cutter or fork to mix everything together and help crumble the butter.
Use your hands to sprinkle the cinnamon butter topping over the casserole.Bake the casserole for 50-55 minutes or until it has reached the desired consistency (the more you bake, the less moist - so it depends on preference here). Cover with foil in the last few minutes if the top is turning too brown. Check for doneness by looking at the bottom pieces of bread in the casserole. they should be a bit soggy but not too much.
Slice into squares and serve with whipped cream, fresh berries and syrup.
Recipe Notes:
I recommend preparing the casserole the night before. This will allow the bread to soak up all the liquid for the perfect french toast casserole.
Not every bread will work for this recipe. You want to choose a more dense bread like french bread, sourdough, challah, brioche, or Pullman loaf. Regular sliced bread might turn out soggy because it won’t be able to hold the egg mixture as well.
Make sure you soak the bread long enough. If you only soak it for a couple hours, then the bread might not have enough time to properly absorb all the egg mixture. This is why I highly recommend you prepare it in the evening, then the casserole can soak overnight in the fridge and create that soft custard texture.
Once fully cooked, the top should be crispy and the bottom should be soft, but not mushy. Check by poking a hole with a knife in the center and looking at the bottom. If the top is baking too fast and the bottom is still mushy, you can cover the baking dish with aluminum foil while baking a few more minutes.