French Toast

8 slices high quality white sandwich bread (homemade bread sliced thick is great, or something like sourdough from Panera)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1 large egg
2 Tbl sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup flour

Adjust oven rack to the middle position; heat oven to 200. Arrange bread on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and bake until slightly dry, about 15 minutes. While the bread's in the oven, melt 2 Tbl. butter and whisk it together with the milk, egg, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the flour until smooth. Pour the batter into a large shallow dish.

Transfer 2 pieces of bread from the oven into the batter and soak both sides, about 30 seconds per side. Meanwhile, melt 1 more Tbl butter in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat until beginning to brown, swirling to coat the pan. Remove the bread from the batter, allowing the excess to drip back into the dish, and lay it in the hot skillet. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2.5 minutes per side. Transfer the French Toast to the wire rack and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining bread and batter.

Serve. We like to serve 2 slices stacked with strawberry cream cheese in the middle and strawberry syrup on top!

from America's Test Kitchen