Humans have been rehabilitating rock-hard, stale loaves into edible food since bread was invented. But the recipe that has become irrevocably rooted in American breakfast culture is French toast. Based on the French “pain perdu,” or lost bread, French toast is traditionally made from old, leftover slices softened in a mix of milk and eggs, then fried until golden and crisp on the outside and creamy inside.
With a cracking, caramelized brown sugar crust topping and soft, custardy slices of challah, this sheet-pan French toast is sweet perfection all by itself, without the need for maple syrup or powdered sugar. Baking it on a sheet pan eliminates the need to stand at the stove, pan-frying slices in batches. And while the oven is on, it’s easy to throw in a pan of bacon as well.