French Toast Strata

This French toast strata is the brunch move for anyone who doesn’t want to stand at the stove flipping individual slices. You layer cubed bread and cream cheese in a baking dish, pour a maple-spiked egg custard over the top, then stash it in the fridge overnight. Next morning, it goes straight into the oven.

That overnight rest isn’t optional. The bread needs time to fully absorb the custard so the center cooks through evenly. Skip the soak and you’ll end up with dry bread cubes floating in scrambled eggs. Press the layers down with a spatula before refrigerating to make sure every cube gets saturated.

The cream cheese cubes don’t fully melt during baking. Instead, they soften into pockets of tangy richness scattered throughout the strata. It’s like biting into a cream cheese Danish hidden inside your French toast.

Pro Tips

• Use day-old bread or leave fresh bread cubes out on the counter for a few hours. Stale bread soaks up the custard without turning to mush.
• Let the strata stand for 10 minutes after baking. Cutting into it immediately and the custard will run.
• The center should look just barely set when you pull it. It continues cooking from residual heat during the rest.
• Bring the dish to room temperature for 20 minutes before baking if your baking dish is glass. Cold glass in a hot oven can crack.

Variations

• Layer in fresh berries or sliced pears between the bread cubes for a fruity version.
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the custard for a spiced twist.
• Swap the maple syrup for honey and add lemon zest for a brighter flavor.