Traditional Recipes

• A classic French toast recipe involves dipping slices of bread in an egg and milk mixture for no more than a minute or two. Any longer than that and you've got soggy bread that falls apart on the griddle. This method works well for pan-frying French toast, but it won't work if you bake the concoction in the oven. Oven heat is more intense and more difficult to monitor. The French toast will almost certainly dry out if you bake it.

Overnight Success

• If you want to bake French toast, use the same technique you'd use for making bread pudding. Place the bread slices -- or even bread cubes -- in a buttered baking dish and pour the egg and milk mixture over the bread. Refrigerate the dish for at least one hour, or even overnight, until the bread has absorbed all the eggs and milk. When you bake this French toast, it dries out enough that it's not soggy, but it remains moist and tender.

Company-Worthy Breakfast

• Oven-baked French toast is the ideal solution when you're entertaining a large group. Make the French toast the night before and refrigerate it. Take it out and let it come to room temperature in the morning, and then bake it for 30 to 45 minutes. The mess is contained and you don't have to constantly monitor the French toast or try to keep it warm as it comes off the griddle. Try this method for a holiday breakfast or weekend brunch.

Turn Up the Flavor

• A basic French toast recipe typically calls for vanilla and cinnamon as flavorings. With the oven-baked variety, though, you can really jazz up this simple breakfast food because the baking dish can hold extra ingredients. Top the French toast with raisins, sauteed apples, grated orange zest or chopped nuts before baking it. Make a streusel topping with butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Substitute a little cream, orange juice or half-and-half for some of the milk, or sweeten the dish with honey. French toast made this way goes from ho-hum to over-the-top delicious.