Food Breakfast Baked French Toast with Chocolate At Honey and Rye in Minneapolis, day-old bread gets a new life in this rich, fluffy French toast casserole. You can easily change it up by using fresh or dried fruit (sour cherries, blueberries, banana) instead of (or in addition to) chocolate, or adding spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg. By Anne Andrus Anne Andrus Bread maven Anne Andrus runs two bakeries in Minneapolis. She started her first, Honey and Rye, in 2013; in early 2023, Andrus' team opened Bakehouse, a dessert-centric sister to Honey and Rye. "After 10 years in a 2,000-square-foot building, we were busting at the seams," she says. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 2, 2023 Print Share Photo: Carson Downing Hands On Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins Servings: 8 Ingredients Nonstick cooking spray 1 ½ pounds day-old bread (roughly 1 1/2 loaves), cut into 1-inch cubes, preferably a mix of crusty sourdough or baguette and softer challah or brioche* ¾ cup chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips 1 ⅓ cups milk 1 ⅓ cups heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla 6 eggs 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar ¾ cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup butter, melted Powdered sugar or maple syrup Directions Grease a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray or butter. Place half of the bread cubes in the prepared dish; sprinkle with half of the chocolate. Repeat. In a measuring cup, combine milk, cream and vanilla; drizzle over bread. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar. Whisk in flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in melted butter. Drizzle over bread in baking dish. Gently press down on bread cubes with the back of a spoon or spatula to submerge bread in batter mixture. Cover and chill 1 hour or up to overnight. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake, uncovered, until evenly puffed and golden brown on top, 40 to 45 minutes. (A knife inserted in the center should come out clean or an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should register 165°.) If you like, dust with powdered sugar or serve with syrup. *Ingredient Tip: If you don't have day-old bread, you can toss fresh bread cubes in an oven at 300° to dehydrate a little, but don't let them get too toasty. Sourdough Tip: If using all sourdough, add 2 1/2 tablespoons honey to the sugar and egg mixture, and increase melted butter to 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Flavor Variations: Think of this recipe as a blank slate. Instead of (or in addition to) chocolate, you can add fresh or dried fruit, spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg, or even take it in a savory direction. Chocolate and banana. Sour cherry and white chocolate. Peach and blueberry. As for savory, try kale, sausage, Swiss cheese, red pepper flakes, cheddar or bacon. Nutrition Facts (per serving): 705 cal, 33 g fat, 218 mg chol, 86 g carbo, 1002 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 40 g sugar, 16 g pro. Print