A Make-Ahead Baked French Toast in Sticky Bun Clothing

My father-in-law is of Slovenian descent and every year for the holidays, he makes loaves of poteca (po-teet-sa), a traditional yeast bread with a lemon-scented walnut filling. (Just this year, I arrived home from work shortly after Easter to find a package containing a wedge!)

Using a delicious recipe for Crème Brûlée French Toast from Gourmet Magazine as my starting point, I decided to add the walnut and lemony goodness of the poteca to a baked French toast. The result is a like a mash-up of a sticky bun and poteca, in French toast form.

Poteca-Inspired Baked French Toast

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It's great for a holiday breakfast—decadent and delicious, plus prepped the night before. In the morning, it just requires a room temperature rest and a stint in the oven—easy peasy!

Poteca-Inspired Baked French Toast

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Ingredients

1	loaf unsliced white sandwich bread
1	cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8	tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2	cups plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half, divided
	Zest from two lemons, divided
3/4	teaspoon salt, divided
2	teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2	cups walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
5	large eggs
2	tablespoons granulated sugar

1	loaf unsliced white sandwich bread
1	cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8	tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2	cups plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half, divided
	Zest from two lemons, divided

3/4	teaspoon salt, divided
2	teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2	cups walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
5	large eggs
2	tablespoons granulated sugar